The Honourable Eugenie Sage
Minister of Conservation
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
2 September 2020
Expiry of Customs Import Prohibition (Trout) Order 2018
Established in 1974, the NZFFA is an affiliation of fifty angling clubs and over five hundred individual members. The Federation works for the protection of rivers and lakes and our world-class freshwater sports fishery. Our strength lies in our independence and the number of anglers we represent.
In 1998 Conservation Minister Nick Smith introduced an Order in Council under the Customs and Excise Act 1996, prohibiting the importation of trout for eighteen months while the Conservation (Protection of Trout as a non-commercial species) Amendment Bill was considered. This Order prohibited the importation of trout until July 2000. Since then successive Governments have renewed this Order every time it was due to lapse as the Protection of Trout Bill never eventuated.
We note that the above Order, which prohibits the importation of trout, in all forms, will expire on 29 September 2020. The Order is the sole defence against commercialisation of trout in NZ and the corresponding risks of poaching, further pollution and disease introduction into our rivers and lakes.
The NZFFA remains implacably opposed to the commercialisation of trout flesh within NZ either through the importation, sale or farming of trout of any species.
We therefore respectfully urge you to renew the Order in the short-term and consider re-introducing the Conservation (Protection of Trout as a non-commercial species) Amendment Bill.
Yours sincerely
David Haynes
Executive Committee Member
New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers
Please reintroduce the Conservation (Protection of Trout as a non-commercial species) Amendment Bill.
Trout are a public resource – not for privatisation.
Well said NZFFA in “remaining implacably opposed to the commercialisation of trout flesh within NZ either through the importation, sale or farming of trout of any species.” True guardians of the public’s outdoors.