Fishing News >February 2008

Declining Water Quality a Major Concern

The recent State of the Environment report doesn’t make pretty reading.  It clearly points out what most of us have known for some time that the rapid dairy expansion is resulting in a significant degradation of our waterways.  The pollution is at such a level that not only our fisheries but our clean green imagine must be under serious threat.  Dairying, it appears is the only industry that gets its primary resource, water, cheaply and is able to pollute the environment with relative impunity.

A recent Otago Regional Council report found a similar result and identified that the poorest water quality is found in lowland catchments, particularly in areas of intensive dairying.  The report stated that the use of best management practices are unlikely to fully protect streams due to the leaching and run-off of contaminants in the unique soil type and climatic conditions found in the area.  This supports the Fish & Game Otago’s view that the South and West Otago area is unlikely to be able to accommodate intensive agriculture without significant and ongoing affects on waterways.
 
The Otago Regional Council has recently undertaken a stronger stance on waterways protection in areas of intensive agriculture.  Currently there are approximately 24 prosecutions underway for various environmental offences.  While the more vigorous compliance effort is welcomed the current policies are unlikely to yield significant improvements in water quality. 

Prompt action is needed now to halt any further degradation before there can be a realistic focus on improvements but this is likely to require a comprehensive policy response to intensive agriculture at both a central and local government level.  We will be working hard to ensure that the Regional and District Council’s work to improve the water quality situation through upcoming plan changes.

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