Media release from Southland Fish & Game

Urgent need to rethink dairy growth agenda - Southland Fish & Game

Southland Fish & Game says the Parliamentary Commission for the Environment’s (PCE) report released today serves as a major wake-up call for both central and local government.

“The PCE’s report unequivocally proves the adverse impact intensive agricultural, and particularly dairying, has had on our region’s water quality over the last couple of decades, and will have in the years to come” says Zane Moss, Southland Fish & Game’s operations manager.

More agricultural nutrients entering waterways means more algal blooms and slime growth, reduced aquatic bug life to provide food for birds and fish, and waterways that aren’t fit for swimming or fishing. In some areas of New Zealand nitrates from intensive agricultural are in such high concentrations they pose a human health risk.

“We’ve heard every excuse under the sun from vested interest groups trying to avoid taking responsibility for their industry’s impact on our lakes and rivers and streams – we’re still hearing the same blame-dodging today in the wake of this report.

“The fact of the matter is, the PCE has today exploded those often touted myths with this thorough report and it’s long overdue for Federated Farmers and the dairy sector to accept that there are limits to how far the industry can grow, and we are well past that point.

“No more stalling, no attempts to discredit the science or try to lump the blame on the urban community, the PCE’s report clearly spells out that we have a massive problem with dairy intensification and an urgent intervention is required.”

Mr Moss points out smarter farming is the way forward for the Southland region, noting that there is a growing body of work to show that less intensive dairy systems can be just as profitable, if not more so, than the high intensity model being pushed by the dairy companies.

“There are now numerous examples of farms with lower stocking rates, which achieve greater animal health and longevity, better in-calf rates and greater per cow productivity meaning they’re as profitable as a much more intensive operation, while having less effluent to deal with, less supplementary feed to buy-in and less impact on the environment. This type of approach is better for the individual farmers and significantly better for waterway health.”

“Many parts of Southland are already stressed by the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture – we simply can’t accept any more. We’ve got to farm smarter.”

ENDS

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