The NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers (NZFFA) is seeking the views of political parties on the decline in freshwater quality and flows. Responses to the questions will be collated and assessed and voters made aware of ratings.
NZFFA spokesman Grant Henderson said freshwater and groundwater quality and river flows, were at a crisis stage.
A 2026 report by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics NZ has revealed 63 percent of assessed lakes were categorised as being in poor or very poor health, while 54 percent of river length showed moderate or severe organic pollution. Almost half of groundwater in aquifers exceeded drinking water limits for e coli and 12 percent exceeded nitrate limits.
“This is appalling for a country of just 5.4 million people and one that brands itself as 100 percent pure and clean and green,” said Mr Henderson.
The impact on the public’s trout and salmon fisheries has been devastating with fish numbers collapsing while NZFFA warned the impact of high nitrate levels reflecting overseas studies, resulted in bowel cancer rates in areas like South Canterbury and Southland ranking among the highest in the world.
Mr Henderson denied that anglers were protecting their own private recreational interests.
“Our fresh waters are not private. The fisheries are not private. They’re publicly owned for a wide range of public uses. As for our fisheries, the early settlers intended to establish fisheries on egalitarian lines so any citizen had the opportunity to go fishing.
Mr Henderson said at the time of the 2017 election, the health of rivers was a top voter concern but had slipped somewhat since with other issues like cost of living emerging.
“There’s a need to elevate the environment back into the public consciousness leading up to the election,” he said. “Trout and salmon numbers reflect water quality, somewhat like the canary in the coal-mine scenario.”
Contact: Grant Henderson e mail <granden@xtra.co.nz>
Phone 021 0890 8125 or (09) 480 8979
Compliments to the Federation.
Thank goodness some one has the guts to stand up. I’d be interested to see the questions and even more interested to see how the parties resopond especially those fior Shane Jones , Tama Potaka and Chris Bishop with their raids on public resources!
Rivers are public property and so is the water flowing in them. It is not private property, it does not belong exclusively to one ethnic group and it must not be diminished or despoiled by corporate exploitive greed. Well done NZFFA. I await the results with great interest!
Long term necessities must not be endangered by short term economic moneyed gain.Good work nZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers. I’m am very heartened by the initiative.
The (mis)management of our public freshwater resources has always been a major election issue. The news media harps on about the cost of living crisis, but poor water quality will adversely affect both our cost of living (through water rates and public health costs) AND our quality of life (no more fish, no more swimming!!).
Well said Grant et al. NZ Fed is doing an essential job that F & G cannot without “upsetting” their political master.
To Tim Neville and anyone wgo wants to read this comment, Yes a major error – or was it deliberate?- was made in 1987 in forming Fish and Game, of making the new F@G organisation responsible to the Minister of Conservation, which in reality means the Department of Conservation.
Most of us view DoC as pretty hopeless, captured by eco-fundamentalist ideology.
NZ Federation Freshwater Anglers not beholden to anyone except the trout and salmon fishing public is vital as a watch-dog.