Monthly Archives: April 2020

The following article was by the late Ted Bason, who was president and secretary of the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers in the 1970s-80s. It was published in “On the River” in 1974. Ted was a life member of the … Continue reading →

Opinion by Stewart Hydes I think our Government has been doing OK over he covid19 virus — but then not great. I agree with the “lockdown” – if anything, our borders should have been shut, and isolation forced / supervised, … Continue reading →

An Opinion From Yesteryear The following opinion was published in a 1974 “On the River” publication of the Federation of Hawkes Bay Angling Clubs, from which grew the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers.  John B Henderson, a NZ Deerstalkers’ Association … Continue reading →

Insect populations around the world are in a dramatic decline over 30 years – whereas water-based insects are not so. A team of scientists from around the world recently analysed 166 long-term survey of insects from 1,676 sites worldwide and … Continue reading →

by Ben Hope An outbreak of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease type 2 (RVHD2) is currently sweeping the UK and Ireland. The virus is deadly to rabbits both in the wild and at home and kills in just 24 hours.  There … Continue reading →

An opinion piece by Tony Orman The Prime Minister Jacinda Adern has announced the election this year will be held on September 19. I was talking to a friend, a keen trout fishing and hunting guy the other day and … Continue reading →

A petition calling for better protection for the Rangitata Fiver has been launched. Anglers are calling on Environment Canterbury to properly protect the Rangitata River as required under the river’s Conservation Order (WCO) A New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association deputation intends to … Continue reading →

by Rex N. Gibson The fact that the government has now recognised there are at least 723 contaminants in our groundwater should worry every New Zealander. It is not surprising to Ecologists working in this area, that pesticides, pharmaceuticals and … Continue reading →

A trout and salmon advocacy is alarmed at a newly released report from the Ministry for the Environment on the increasingly polluted and degraded condition of New Zealand’s public waterways, which also discloses how little is known about the amount … Continue reading →

Disappointment at government’s continuation of the ban on hunting under Alert Level 3 has angered many hunters.   Nicole McKee, spokesperson for the Fair and Reasonable Campaign of Council of Licence Firearm Owners (COLFO) expressed extreme disappointment at the government’s … Continue reading →

by courtesy of Reel Questions and Legasea Reel Questions is a commentary series providing an insight to the opinions and experiences of individuals who have ties with our fish life and marine environment whether it be their livelihood, playground, creative … Continue reading →

The late Bill Benfield, conservationist, author and former chairman of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ, was a passionate and forthright advocate for the environment. In 2014, he addressed the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers AGM on the subject of the … Continue reading →

(special report) Businessman and former trout fisherman Bob Jones has strongly criticised government’s recreational fishing and other outdoor sports bans under lockdown rules. Writing on his website “No Punches Pulled” he lambasted the government for “lunatic rules”. “Fishing is banned. … Continue reading →

by Ben Hope Recently a Radio NZ investigation revealed the four largest private landowners in New Zealand are all foreign-owned forestry companies. In the 2017 election campaign, Labour, Green and NZ First parties  all promised a clampdown on farmland going … Continue reading →

An earlier posting raised the question of the toxicity of diazinon recalling that In May 2012 dead mallard ducks were found on a Landcorp farm at Cape Foulwind, West Coast, after 1500 hectares were sprayed with diazinon.Its use is widespread as … Continue reading →

In May 2012 dead mallard ducks were found on a Landcorp farm at Cape Foulwind, West Coast, after 1500 hectares were sprayed with diazinon.Its use is widespread as an insecticide often in the form called Dew600. This is around 60% … Continue reading →

An Opinion by Tony Orman On November 18, 2019, “The Australian” arguably Australia’s most astute and credible newspaper, one that has not succumbed to the tabloid trash style, ran an article titled “Plea to Rein in Water Barons to Help Suicidal Irrigators”. … Continue reading →

A prominent hunter and wild deer photographer Clyde Graf of Hamilton, has dismissed concerns voiced that a ban on hunting due to the coronavirus “lockdown” will lead to exploding deer numbers. “The deer populations can’t explode in a single year, … Continue reading →

by John McNab Fears of wild deer numbers getting out of control have no practical foundation says a hunting and conservation lobby. West Coast conservationist  Laurie Collins spokesman for the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust, said talk of wild animal explosions … Continue reading →