The announcement of a $784,000 taxpayer contribution toward restoring 44 hectares of wetland on the Rakaia is being presented as a turning point. It is not. It is an admission. For seventy years, Glenariffe Stream - once responsible for roughly … Continue reading
Compiled by CORANZ researchers Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is copping severe criticism for a proposal that will allow commercial fishers to take juvenile undersized fish. Critics say it shows the ministers heavy favouritism towards the commercial fishing industry. Television Fishing … Continue reading
Guest post by Dave Rhodes The Government’s proposal to scrap minimum legal size limits for commercial fishing operators is not reform. It is a breach of public trust. For generations, New Zealanders have understood a simple principle: small fish go … Continue reading
Queenstown Lakes District Council now says discharging treated wastewater into the Kawarau River is its “only realistic option.” That phrase should concern anyone who values rivers. Queenstown did not wake up one morning to discover it had too many visitors, … Continue reading
Opinion by Tony Orman Democracy is under siege from politicians and is involved in every facet of our lives, even the environment – and even fishing and hunting Democracy is dying, in case you haven’t noticed. It’s exemplified by governments’ … Continue reading
The removal of more than 400 tonnes of invasive weeds from Lake Horowhenua sounds impressive. It is. Sadly, it is also not a cure. For decades, raw sewage was discharged into the lake. That legacy does not disappear because a … Continue reading
Commentary by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ New Zealand’s legal limit for nitrate-nitrogen in drinking water is 11.3 mg/L. That figure dates back to World Health Organisation guidance from the 1960s, designed to prevent an acute infant condition known as methemoglobinemia … Continue reading
Guest Commentary by Dave Rhodes Wetlands were once treated as nationally significant. Councils inventoried them. Policies were written. International obligations under the Ramsar Convention were invoked. There was urgency. There was language about protection, restoration, and intergenerational responsibility. That urgency … Continue reading
Feature article by Andi Cockroft, Chairman, Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations NZ (CORANZ) The headline in a recent “Star Sunday Times” was “Red alert – rampant red deer risk irreversible damage to Fiordland”. And the opening paragraph of the article … Continue reading
Tonight, New Zealanders have a simple option. Step outside. A total lunar eclipse - often called a “blood moon” - will be visible across much of the country, weather permitting. No special equipment is required. No tickets. No bookings. No … Continue reading
Guest Post by Dave Rhodes I have not conducted a line-by-line review of Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff. What follows is drawn from the author’s interviews, publisher material, and multiple independent reviews. The core argument is simple. Modern Western … Continue reading
Transpower has told Parliament it will likely need to use the Public Works Act more often to expand the national grid. Electricity demand is forecast to rise more than 60 percent by 2050. Transmission corridors will need upgrading. New generation … Continue reading
The latest round of submissions on the Arms Bill shows something important: dissatisfaction exists on more than one side. Licensed firearms owners argue the overhaul does not unwind what they see as overreach introduced after 15 March 2019. Gun control … Continue reading
Protest, Power and Accountability Guest Post by Dave Rhodes A US court has finalised a NZ$575 million judgement against Greenpeace over its role in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. That is not a minor legal skirmish. It is a … Continue reading
When a government campaigns on reversing its own decision, it tells us something spectacular! Not about fish.Not about industry.But about stability. The latest announcement that ring-net fishing would be banned in selected high-protection zones of the Hauraki Gulf - reversing … Continue reading
Structure Matters: Institutional Design Is Not Cosmetic Guest Post by Dave Rhodes The government has introduced legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and fold it into a larger “mega-ministry” covering housing, urban development, transport, local government and environment. … Continue reading
