These are troubled times. New Zealand's marine environment could be heading for a catastrophic disaster if the Government continues to push for economic benefits from the ocean without a national management plan strategy, according to Nima chairman Chris Mace, as reported in today's Southland Times. Hope that goes better than the same sort of plan that's been cobbled together for our fresh water - the one that was so generous to the irrigation farmers of Canterbury and so stingy to the agencies throughout the country trying to protect threatened rivers and lagoons, but I digress...
The local paper also carries a story about the Bluff oysters. They experienced near-extinction in the not so distant past, in line with the reasons for Mr Mace's present warnings, and need to be manged with the greatest of care with strict seasons and quota BUT it's Rugby World Cup season and all bets are off! We need another out-of-season season! Those oysters are worth a fortune to the tourists who will flock to Invercargill to see the rugby and they'll WANT oysters and we're going to give them what they want!
Oh yes!
I wonder if Mr Mace will come down for a heapin' helpin' of those shellfish!
I know Mr Key declared that he intended to eat his body-weight's worth the last time he was down here but perhaps he'll have read the Niwa report by then and realised what's going on in and around our environment.
Or perhaps not.
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