fish and game issue

[toads]

i agree there are two sides to every issue, we own farmland bordering a river, which fortunately for us has no fish in it or even eels, but legislation is apparently being considered to get every river,pond waterway etc fenced off to stop cattle/sheep from fouling the water etc, this is an ok consideration for some farms, but for high country sheep farmers is a logistical nightmare, legislation has a tendancy to enforce impractical hard and fast rules on everyone, I would far rather each property be assessed on it's own basis, and leave the government out of it completely.

[Hitcher]

i agree there are two sides to every issue, we own farmland bordering a river, which fortunately for us has no fish in it or even eels, but legislation is apparently being considered to get every river,pond waterway etc fenced off to stop cattle/sheep from fouling the water etc, this is an ok consideration for some farms, but for high country sheep farmers is a logistical nightmare, legislation has a tendancy to enforce impractical hard and fast rules on everyone, I would far rather each property be assessed on it's own basis, and leave the government out of it completely.

Nitrate runoff is a major ecological issue. Just look at what's happened to the Rotorua lakes. Even Lake Taupo is at risk. Once a lake is "dead" it can take up to 30 years to restore to viability. Riparian fencing and planting doesn't cost that much -- particularly if farmers do it in a phased manner -- and the environmental benefits are significant.