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OPINION: Irate Southland farmers are on the money denying anglers access across their land.
And social media posts show there's growing support to spread the boycott throughout the country. That's exactly what happened in 2014 with the 'Lock the Gate' campaign kicked off by Rural News.
For too long, Fish & Game has been using membership fees, collected from the public and farmers, to fund court battles to unfairly suppress farming.
It's clear that farmers strongly back the Southland Federated Farmers' call for local farmers to boycott Fish & Game and remove fishing access across their land. The call to action was sparked by a court decision which would require 3000 Southland farmers to apply for resource consent to keep farming lawfully. Southland Fish & Game and Forest & Bird have been pushing for the ruling. They've welcomed the decision, saying it would help the province's degraded rivers and waterways.
As Feds Southland president Jason Herrick says, Fish & Game has failed to reciprocate the goodwill shown by farmers in allowing anglers to walk across their land.
"We're fed up with Southland Fish & Game's persistent, belligerant anti-farming rhetoric and their opposition to everything we do. We've tried our best to maintain our relationship with them, but they've washed that relationship away down the Mataura River," Herrick says.
Farmers are being urged to take down access signs on the properties. Feds are making it clear that farmers shouldn't destroy access signs put up by F&G. Instead, the signs can be returned to Fish & Game.
Some farmers are calling for the Feds to consider a national boycott, noting that, if successful in Southland, Fish & Game will be advocating similar regulations throughout the country.
For now, Federated Farmers Southland is appreciative of the nationwide support and is asking supporters to put orange on roadside gates to show support, wherever you are in the country.
The time has come to stop Fish & Game in its tracks. Farmers have been allowing access to anglers in good faith, only to be kicked in the guts time and again by Fish & Game.
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