working together to save wetlands

It's a funny old world sometimes. You can end up being on the side of groups that may be unexpected.

Fish and Game is one group in that catagory for me.

The fact that Fish and Game want to save waterways and wetlands, so they can hunt and kill things there, is a little difficult to stomach but at least they are fighting hard to save our wild places. I sincerely thank them for their efforts.

We have to save our wild places, we have to protect our rivers and nurture our wetlands. There is no choice - we have to. So any group that is working to protect these places, is in alignment with our goals. We need all groups that are in alignment with our goal of protecting our wilderness from dams, from mining, from commerical activity and from unnecessary roads to work together.

Wetlands are a great example where mutually aligned groups can work together to make a difference. I hope some other groups join the call from Fish and Game.

From Rebecca Fox at the ODT

"Fish and Game Otago is calling for answers as to why some wetlands are being drained and their vegetation destroyed in South Otago.

Fish and Game Otago chief executive Niall Watson said they had yet to get an answer to their concerns that the rush swamp areas on the margins of Lake Tuakitoto were being developed into pasture.

"We want to stop any further development."

Fish and Game was also concerned about Cairn Swamp in the upper Waipahi catchment which it considered to have been "whittled away over time", Mr Watson said.

"Its drainage and destruction is not a desirable thing."

I totally agree Fish and Game.

Otago Regional Council manager support services Gerard Collings said the council was aware of one instance at Lake Tuakitoto where a farmer, who had a grazing lease, regrassed an area. It was questioned whether or not it was wetland area.

As a result the council was considering reviewing the conditions of the grazing leases.

The council was also aware of another incident on Kuriwao Reserve land, but in that situation the council was bound by the perpetual leases the landowners held."

"considering reviewing" doesn't mean much, does it. Hopefully this call from Fish and Game will get some action so that these farmers cannot drain wetlands to make more pasture. We collectivelly need wetlands much more , than a farmer individually, needs the extra income from putting some more dairy cows on their land.