Thursday, 24 October 2024 09:55

Editorial: Teaching F&G a lesson

Written by  Staff Reporters

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.


 Read More


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.

 

 

More like this

Editorial: Making wool great again

OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.

Rain misses Taranaki region

The 'atmospheric river' of rain that swept down the country last week almost completely avoided one of the worst drought-affected regions in the country – coastal Taranaki.

Should've waited

OPINION: The proposed RMA reforms took a while to drop but were well signaled after the election.

Featured

Farmers urged not to be complacent about TB

New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.

Editorial: Making wool great again

OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.

National

Machinery & Products

Farmer-led group buys Novag

While the name and technology remain unchanged and new machines will continue to carry the Novag name, all the assets,…

Buhler name to go

Shareholders at a special meeting have approved a proposed deal that will see Buhler Industries, the publicly traded Versatile and…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Make it 1000%!

OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…

Own goal

OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter