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Fish & Game New Zealand is urging regional councils to step up and protect New Zealand’s rivers and lakes by enforcing Water Conservation Orders – WCOs.
WCOs are the highest level of protection that can be afforded to any water body and are designed to protect New Zealand’s most outstanding wild rivers, wetlands and lakes.
“Fish & Game has been responsible for securing 12 of the 15 WCOs currently in place for 13 rivers and two lakes across the country,” says a Fish & Game spokesperson.
“However, Fish & Game is concerned that regional councils are not doing enough to enforce the protection mechanisms that are afforded to WCOs.”
Fish & Game manage trout, salmon and game birds to provide healthy recreation for Kiwis,and work to protect the environment that anglers and hunters have enjoyed as a tradition for over 150 years.
The organisation has joined North Canterbury Fish & Game in proceedings involving Environment Canterbury, which is seeking a declaratory judgement from the Environment Court about whether it is legally obliged to monitor and enforce the WCO on the Rakaia River.
Fish & Game chief executive Corina Jordan says regional councils are statutorily responsible for implementing WCOs.
“Water Conservation Orders are like a National Park on a waterway,” says Corina.
“Fish & Game believes that the regional councils should be responsible for making sure the WCOs are put into action.
The Rakaia River, one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand, has been identified as having outstanding in-stream values and characteristics through its WCO, including recreational fisheries, wildlife habitats, natural character and amenity.
Credit: sunlive.co.nz
