Southland Federated Farmers to boycott Fish & Game

Federated Farmers Southland are calling for local farmers to boycott Fish & Game and remove fishing access across their land.

"Farmers have always allowed anglers to walk across their land as a gesture of goodwill but, unfortunately, that goodwill has been completely eroded by Southland Fish & Game," Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick says.

"We’re fed up with Southland Fish & Game’s persistent, belligerent anti-farming rhetoric and their opposition to everything we do.

"We’ve tried our best to maintain our relationship with them, but they’ve washed that relationship away down the Mataura River.

"We’re now calling for local farmers to join us in boycotting fishing licences, and to remove fishing access by taking down access signs.

"Farmers can replace those signs with an orange ribbon to show their frustration with Fish & Game, and anyone else who wants to show their support could do that by attaching an orange ribbon to their roadside gate as well.

"I want to be very clear: we’re not asking farmers to destroy access signs, but they can return their signs to Southland Fish and Game if they like."

Herrick emphasises that the boycott is in Southland only.

He says the decision has been sparked by a recent court decision that would require more than 3000 Southland farmers to apply for a resource consent just to continue farming.

"Southland Fish & Game were one of the main groups pushing for that decision, which is an absolute kick in the guts for farmers down here," Herrick says.

"This has come on top of a raft of challenges from Fish & Game, including on gravel management and management of flooding in the Waituna Lagoon area.

"It’s the last straw and we’re now taking action.

"Southland Fish & Game are using licence funds against farmers and against all New Zealanders by making land use so difficult.

"They've destroyed the goodwill of farmers - and we've had enough."