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Now displaying: July, 2017
Jul 26, 2017

“We need to base our farming on biology, not on chemicals,” says Dr Meriel Watts.

“New Zealand needs to WAKE UP to what is going on in conventional farming in this country.”

“Our food is denatured through chemical use, and New Zealand, compared to the rest of the world, lacks the political will to address this.”

Educating the New Zealand Public

New Zealand needs to face up to the widespread use of chemicals that are applied in agriculture, either topically or coated on seeds, and how the chemicals affect our food and therefore our health. There is a toxic plethora of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, along with artificial fertilisers that make chemical companies masses of money, but are not to the benefit of us, the consumers.

One might think that a so called clean green country, like New Zealand, would be keen to show itself as just that, but instead we apply toxic chemical after toxic chemical all over the country.

In one evening meal, that is not organic, you could be consuming as many as 17 different agro - chemicals in small quantities. Research on how they all work together has not been done. New Zealand’s chemical assessments are not being based on science.

Encouraging the NZ Government to involve itself in a Global Awareness Movement   

The Formal UN Recommended Organisation SAICM- (Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management) states that highly hazardous pesticides be phased out and replaced by agro-ecology. (Agro-ecology is known as organics in NZ.) However, although 170 countries are involved and send delegates to the meetings, incredibly New Zealand has not chosen to be involved, and seems unaware of the serious repercussions of chemical use.  Meriel states that the heads of the Departments for the Environment, Health and Agriculture (Primary Industries) need to attend to learn, and realise the critical situation that NZ is in.

Where is the powerful influence that keeps the toxic chemicals in use? Here’s an example from the US.

Dow Chemicals has given a million dollars for Donald Trump’s campaign fund. Dow are makers of Chlorpyrifos. This pesticide has been banned by Sri Lanka and Yemen and US scientists have identified it as a major concern, but of course after that donation, the hopes of getting it banned in the US have been dashed.

A New Chemical that has Shown Up on the NZ Market!

In New Zealand we are unsure of the influence by companies like Dow. However the pesticide Chlorpyrifos is used here in New Zealand. There is not much political will to ban it, and although home gardeners are not allowed to use it, the government still allows its use on farms, and by commercial gardeners.

Children are especially at risk. Chlorpyrifos is an acute nerve toxin and suspected endocrine disruptor that has been linked to numerous health issues. It has been found in human cord blood and is known to cause foetal damage and neuro-developmental disorders.  Most recently, it has been linked to an increased risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children.

Chlorpyrifos is found at particularly high levels in children. It is prevalent in fruit and vegetables; also in dairy products, nuts, cottonseed, wheat and wheat-based products such as bread and pasta, rice, maize, chickpeas, fish, muesli, jam, olive oil, pizza, hamburgers, raisins; also soft drinks and drinking water.

HAVE YOU EVEN HEARD OF CHLORPYRIFOS? Before this interview, I hadn’t.

How do NZers have their Elected Servants in Government,
Take Heed of Ubiquitous Chemicals?

So why does our government lack the political will to put a ban on chemicals like chlorpyrifos, glyphosate / Roundup, 1080, and the bee threat neonicitinoids?

Agriculture is the largest sector of the tradable economy in New Zealand. This means that farmers have a strong voice around decisions made that affect them. They and the large chemical trans-nationals will undoubtedly have influence regarding decisions made, that could affect them. However we the public need to have a voice about what affects us – namely some very toxic chemicals.

NZ’s Government Department NIWA , the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, tested the water of Auckland harbour and were very concerned at the level of glyphosate in the water - Yet the Government is ignoring the aquatic environment.

The Soils are a Barometer to Healthy Food, Animals & People

Our soils are sick from greed-based, irresponsible agricultural practices, pesticides, chemical fertilisers, erosion and mineral depletion, all of which stop or reduce adequate microbial activity in the soil, rendering them sick and/or dead and sterile. Sick soils make for sick plants and sick plants make for sick humans and animals.,” Says the president of the US National Health Federation, Scott Tips.

If the soil is poor, not enough micro-organisms are taken up into the plant. So we are replacing nourishment with chemicals. The answer to growing good strong healthy plants that do not need chemical assistance, lies in the soil.

We cannot put the entire blame on farmers, says Meriel. The whole approach to pesticides has to change, from home gardeners, to household use as well as farm use. We can’t very well demand farmers change without stopping using fly spray, for example. Fly spray is made with synthetic pyrethrum and is carcinogenic.

The level of cancer is soaring around the world and yet we are not informed about agricultural and industrial chemical use, and its effect on human health.

New Zealand is between 10 & 20 Years Behind -
When we Need to be Ahead!

New Zealand is, in Muriel's opinion, between 10 and 20 years behind in understanding the side effects of pesticide use. This is unacceptable.

She challenges which ever government is in power to create a caring state and ensure the health of all people throughout the country. One main way to do this is to walk away from the chemical cocktail that affects us all.

Dr Meriel Watts had a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a PhD in risk assessment of pesticides and the consequences of its flaws for pesticide policy.

She has been working on behalf of civil society for 27 years on pesticide issues and safer alternatives – including for Greenpeace and the Soil & Health Association. Now she works (since 1993) for Pesticide Action Network (PAN), a global network of about 600 civil society organisations in 90 countries – coordinate PAN Aotearoa NZ, Senior Technical Advisor to PAN Asia Pacific, the regional centre in Malaysia, and represents the global network at UN chemicals conventions, agreements and technical groups.

Meriel has been involved in NZ’s organics sector for about 24 years – including helping to establish and run Organic Farm NZ – a low-cost certification scheme for growers supplying only the domestic market. Together with her partner, she runs a certified organic farm, on Waiheke Island, supplying locals with fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and olive oil.

Author of 5 books on pesticides, Meriel has contributed to numerous other publications including monographs e.g. on both the glyphosate and  chlorpyrifos, act.

Her most recent book = Replacing Chemicals with Biology – Phasing out Highly Hazardous Pesticides with Agro-ecology -  is about why we need to phase out chemical pesticides. That successful growing without pesticides is possible and is now being proved globally and what policy changes are needed to get us there.

The websites mentioned in the interview:

Replacing Chemicals with Biology: Phasing out Highly Hazardous Pesticides with Agroecology:  http://pan-international.org/resources/

and

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, report on pesticides to UN human Rights Council, A/HRC/34/48: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Food/Pages/Annual.aspx

Also of interest may be:

PAN International List of Highly Hazardous Pesticides: http://pan-international.org/resources/

PAN International Consolidated List of Ban Pesticides: http://pan-international.org/resources/

PAN International Monograph on Glyphosate: http://pan-international.org/resources/

------------------------------------

This interview was sponsored by The Awareness Party

Jul 20, 2017

Liz, is asking for some leader in NZ to stand up and have the courage to say that we as an island nation, want a GE Free country and be the organic food bowl for the world. With no more Monsanto influence and definitely no more glyphosate.  

She wants us to become a ‘planetary ark' and be that 'organic food bowl’ for the world.

Plus, she WANTS a really clear - NZ Government funded - free from influence - media platform TV - Radio and newsprint / digital where we have quality policy journalists back again, investigating anything within the public domain as well as envisioning healthy possibilities for all of our children’s - collective future.

After leaving broadcasting, Liz spent a decade in Australia as a full time Mum and having to learn child rearing with no backup of grandparents or nanny help which she had had when she had worked full time for TVNZ. So she really learnt to be a hands on Mum and how to connect emotionally with her little ones and so it was a wonderful learning curve as a human being, noting that she underlines that she learnt more from her children than they learnt from her.

Deeper learning of the Self.

Liz also speaks about her experience then of a profound lack of confidence. At first she thought it was post natal depression, but realised that there was a deeper layering - where she had parents that they themselves struggled and Liz shares the challenges that her mother had and the subsequent burden that Liz carried as a result of their relationship and she was not able to really be there for how Liz wanted - a mother to-be.

To this end Liz learnt to become very adept at putting up a front - and ironically ending up on television - very capable on the outside - she was seen as always happy when she was a young lawyer yet struggled with health related problems that resulted in a deep lack of confidence - yet she was able to portray the opposite in the world, by looking and acting happy.

With bringing up her children and marrying the inner Liz to the outer Liz and then understanding what has shaped her and in decoding what is it she is here to be and do - who is the Liz? How does she integrate her desire to serve in the world with being a whole authentic human being and realising and reconciling that both her parents did their very best to bring her up as best as they could. And Liz goes into this in expressing her humility - realising that we can let go of things that do not serve us and that are not real - and we can become the people we probably were put on this earth to be - but often through painful experience.

A difficult marriage was another part of her learning and she states sincerely how grateful she is in many ways - though she laughingly says she is not fully reconciled with that yet:). Because like her childhood experiences with her mother - it dug up all  the things that she did not want to look at - and what she couldn’t escape … So she says to her kids as well -  that life - like the Buddha says is about suffering - so you accept the suffering - but Liz then brightens saying that this life is like a gorgeous mysterious university course that we did not even know we had signed up for!

That the lessons will keep coming back and back - the same lesson often until we have the inner resilience, the inner fortitude  - and the willingness to look at what that lesson brings us.  Thus we learn and we grow and we can then graduate to another class. Which she laughingly says - has been like the last 10 years …

Covering myths and legends and Joseph Campbell and our journey of traveling deep dark valleys - and the struggle to get through the day, like just getting by by crawling as if in a dark place - but being a mum and committed to her children there is no recourse other than to hang in with her kiddies as she was so committed as a mother and a parent.

A Near Death Experience and a Greater Understanding.

Then Liz tells of a broken heart moment in hospital when she nearly died as doctors worked diligently on her heart and she witnessed this by ‘looking down on everything from the ceiling - (this could be said to be an out of the body experience or a near death experience) - she said for a moment she felt that she was floating on the softest warmest, most loving golden clouds and realising that she could stay there, this was wonderful - I can give up - this is easy - and at that moment both her beautiful children were right at the forefront and the feeling was so powerful - ‘I can’t leave them, they still need me’  - and that the urge for life was so much greater than the urge to run away from the pain of life - and she came back to her body - to recuperate and heal.

Then the discussion covered ‘the purpose for existence - is to find out the purpose for existence’ - and Liz was emphatic it was certainly not about power or money or status - the house we own or the cars we drive  … that those things are so deeply ephemeral and so transient and for many it is a frightening place because so many people fear death.

What Liz says that experience taught her that she had nothing whatsoever to fear.

The interview then covers names like Ramana Maharshi and Gangaji to the Dalai Lama.

Questioning Material Values

Liz surmises - why do we in the Western developed world set about to amass so much material wealth, houses, bach’s, numbers of cars, boats clothes etc.  If we didn’t fear death would we just get on and experience life instead?

What she feels is that material wealth means nothing other than what she can leave in the hearts of those that she loves. And her greatest achievement is loving her children with all her heart. Listen to this as Liz expresses herself so deeply, in such a warm and humble way.

That for children to open like the lotus flower and being the humans they can be - and this is what she feels needs to be extended across the community of NZ.

This interview also covers an experience Liz had in Sydney when she was at a function of the media magnates the Murdoch’s where she witnessed these very successful media barons and realised that with all their collective expertise and media and satellite outreach that if only they wanted to bring whole countries together and have communities connect and share in a better tomorrow - these people could basically create a large shift in changing the world into a more peaceful and harmonious place. However in her intuitions of seeing them huddled most of the night with Rupert and Lachlan, including James Packer in a corner - out of the way at this function - she realised how close yet how far away we are at pulling the threads of humanity together.

That if they only felt connected to all people - they would feel so loved and valued in the world - that wherever they went they would feel so much goodwill flowing toward them - however this is not the case.

That Liz found that she had so much compassion for them - because the elder Murdoch who owns Sky Television and the Australian newspaper and a huge slice of Australian and British newspapers and until recently virtually 75 % of all NZ suburban newspapers  Once owning the Controlling Interest in Wellington’s Dominion newspaper and being the 2nd largest media conglomerate on earth owning 20th Century Fox and the Wall St Journal and a huge number of media companies.

That she just intuited that their energy was not warm and light hearted and that they were basically not happy at all.

Generosity of Spirit

This conversation then continues around generosity of spirit of giving and bringing a little joy to people who are experiencing unhappy lives - especially on the streets here in Auckland where the homeless are seen in greater numbers even though the NZ Government is crowing about our $4 billion surplus for the last year.

Then Liz tells  that when back in Australia of giving her last $2-00 to a homeless person when she found that she was unable to withdraw any cash from her account at an ATM. So being in Sydney away from NZ - taking a leap of faith giving that $2.00 minute amount away to a destitute person in the street and making them feel acknowledged and then having to go through the challenge of having to rely on the goodwill of friends to help her out over the ensuring days.

Micro Funding those less fortunate

Liz’s dream is of having enough funds to set up micro finance for women, especially those women who have come out of failed marriages and have to start again to make a living - or in Africa where a death or disability throw the onus on the woman to make a living. And it has been proved over and over again when women are able to receive a loan for a chicken coop or garden seeds - that they are fastidious at paying back their loan. That they in most cases are brilliant at running their little businesses and they get the family back on their feet when they may have to learn totally new skills to find a creative way to make a living.

So with micro funding Liz wants to assist NZ woman to get back on their feet by becoming independent as in many cases they have given up their career to take on family responsibilities whilst the husband has continuously advanced his own career thus he is always skilled up. Thus there is a lot of fear and trepidation for middle aged women having to rejoin the workforce and back into the thick of things in a new job, new technologies, new expectations - new performance quotas etc  

This is a difficult arena for women - look at TV in NZ there is no older women there, at the moment.Ageism is still prevalent.

Liz’s talks about her work, when starting out as a young lawyer - and how she saw the reality of it. But, she found what disillusioned her was that if you have the money - you can get the best lawyer in town and they can stitch up the case by getting someone off - when in fact they were the guilty party.  When she thought that Law was about justice - that the present government has made huge cuts to legal aid in NZ recently, that many Lawyers did not agree with this - even those who were innately conservative themselves.

Homelessness - how could this happen in New Zealand?!

Liz says her heart aches to see the number of homelessness we have here in NZ especially Auckland )and particularly in a year where the NZ government are 4 billion dollars in surplus - which coincides with the election coming up in less that 3 months time). That she has been going around Auckland and making videos and interviewing the homeless and hearing all their various stories.

She is mortified - as this should not be in NZ - we are basically an extraordinarily caring people - but … and she in meeting so many of these homeless people and seeing a profound dignity in many of them and the hopeless situation they are in.

A kind and caring compassionate woman …

Stand up before this election and make a fuss about homelessness.

The Dalai Lama’s statements about humility and connection come up and yet there are many laughs during this interview.

Covering what Mike King is doing with youth suicide in NZ and that this too is a stain across our nation.

She tells of an experiment with rats and heroin and the environment. The end result is that after rats are put in a stark and boring environment - given the choice they all turn to heroin instead of drinking water. But, when they turn their cage into a myriad of things to do - to climb, swing, run on a wheel, snuggle into warm covered areas - they eventually all end up rejecting the heroin and instead they enjoy the variety and opportunities of a captivating environment.

Many people in a state of homelessness have been involved with drugs, but had they been in an environment that had offered them possibilities to learn and to grow and experience a more conducive atmosphere - of connection - many would not be suffering as they are today.

Possibilities of changing both our outlook and our inner state of being

This then introduces Bruce Lipton and our body of around 50 trillion cells - and his theme - change the environment for the better and the situation will change accordingly. That all our organs are working in unison and we are not doing any of this consciously. That as a top scientist / professor at Stanford University in the USA, he realised that we need not be a captive and slave to our genes. That we can by ‘shifting our consciousness’ evolve our genome and become far more healthier humans.  Books - Biology of Belief and Conscious Evolution. 

Liz see NZ as having changed dramatically in the last 9 years

She sees so many homeless and as a mother - wonders how this has continued to escalate.

Liz shares that NZ needs to become more sovereign and independent - that when David Lange of the NZ Labour Government saw that our country had a large majority wanting to be nuclear free nation this gave him the mandate to make us a Nuclear Free country. Liz feels that as a small independent nation (and we trust a moral force for good) that we be weary of US influence being too strong here and for example the lack of transparency with the Waihopai Face Eyes Echelon spy station in the South Island being cause for concern.

Regarding trade  she like many here in NZ who were voiceless felt a great relief that the TPPA did not go ahead and that we need to be adept at finding innovative ways to sort out fair trade.

However there is also the challenge of transparency of Government - and this is an important issue - which is also a global issue. That we New Zealanders have to be both more alert and proactive to make our elected servants in Wellington bow to the wishes of ‘we the people.’

In reiterating what she sees as issues.

1)    The homeless

2)    NZ becoming a GE and GMO Free organic agricultural food bowl for our world.

3)    A new Transparent media outlet for open communications - TV, Radio & Digital.

This is what in a democracy media is all about, not glove puppets  - John Campbell has gone - this is dangerous for democracy we dependent on a free and courageous media.

Nicky Hagar if you like him or not - he was vilified for laying out so many truths - which were all shoved aside - with no-one in Government prepared to accept the lies that the Government had hidden.  This is why we need a conscious NZ public and this is why Liz has been called to act like a warrior woman, and a Mother.

There is too much at stake and too much to lose.

Jul 13, 2017

NZ’s fisheries and marine environment are currently being mismanaged for the benefit of a few heavyweight fishing industrialists. Sound familiar?

After 30 years and repeated examples of dysfunction including reports of widespread labour abuse, fish dumping, misreporting, and monopoly institutional stagnation, the time is right to return to the basic principles of managing New Zealand’s natural resources for the benefit of the nation.

With an nationwide election on the horizon we the people are having to decide how our precious marine resources are going to be managed, now that we know that the Ministry of  Primary Industries refuses to listen to the People.  

Scott as a spokesman for LegaSea - a public outreach that wants to go beyond the 35,000 fishing club members in 58 clubs and talk to the vast number of people who either love fishing - do a bit of fishing or get a few fish that they share with their neighbours or just like the idea of having abundant in shore coastal fisheries.

This is what they have been doing over the last 5 years communicating with fisherfolk.   They also encourage people to make contributions so as to share the load as they look towards taking care of NZ’s spectacular marine environment so that everyone can both enjoy and fish from.

The challenge is to engage with complex NZ Governmental Ministry led management, processes. Especially the world’s leading internationally acclaimed ‘quota management system’ - which most recreational fishermen will know is far from the truth. Most in the know realise it is a farce. Listen to this interview.   plus Previous interview with Scott.

LegaSea’s database has 45,000 subscribers and growing as fisherfolk realise that recreational fishing are being squeezed out by the NZ’s National Government's Ministry of Primary Industries - lock stepped with industrial fishing.

Scott tells of working in cooperation with the NZ Sport Fishing Council and having to take the Minister and Ministry of Primary Industries (the Government) to the High Court, the Appeal Court and then the Supreme Court in the 2005, 6, 7, 8, and 9 journey, where certain Governmental and Ministry activities were regarded as illegal and poorly conceived management practices for the plentiful kahawai the ubiquitous peoples fish where the Law came out on the side of the righteous and not the Government - thank you Justice Reese Harrison and thank you Chief Justice Sian Elias for the superb judgements that full costs were awarded in the NZ Sports Fishing Council’s favour. Note neither of the above two Governmental parties appealed!

Sadly Sanford’s and Sealord’s the big two industrial fishing Corporations - because they are very well financed did what they continue to do, but what came out of this, is this:

The Supreme Court ruled that ‘the Minister’ shall allow for public interests and recreational interests - and may set the total allowable commercial catch at zero! - if he or she is reasonable.

(Question: What type of Government is it, that ‘the people’ have to take their own elected servants to the Highest Court of the Land to get them to come to heal? )

LegaSea are wanting to:

Establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry

Objectives:

  1. Examine fisheries management and policy settings to better understand.
    1. Why there is insufficient abundance of fisheries inshore to satisfy public interests in fishing and conservation.
    2. What management and policy changes are required to enable decision makers to act in a more precautionary manner.
    1. Blockages to restoring inshore fish stocks to abundant levels.
    2. Structures that perpetuate monopolistic behaviour by quota shareholders.
    3. Barriers to innovation in fishing methods and technology.
  2. Review the Quota Management System to identify –

We need to redefine the purpose of fisheries development and establish institutions and instruments that achieve the environmental, economic, social, and cultural benefits due to all New Zealanders from the use of our natural marine resources.

Nothing less than a Royal Commission!

To allow Recreational Fishers to have restored public confidence in the management of our inshore fisheries.

(Tim countered - with the importance of a ‘neutral selection process’ for this Royal Commission - that they select the appropriate prospect - not jobs for the boys - like retired ‘well connected’ business people or politicians who have been put out to pasture. Because these ‘commissioners’  would be, taking home $1500 a day to sit and mull over what decisions to take, that will not necessarily be in the fishing industry’s interests).

It was ventured and stated that it was fair to say that the incumbent National Government of today is very closely aligned with the commercial sector - and a Royal  Commission of Enquiry - to get this momentum over the line - against the run of play - is a must! - full stop! - 

Citizens Initiated Referendum

LegaSea are giving serious consideration to initiating a Citizens Initiated Referendum - which in 18 months could give us an answer - an unbinding one - but it would let NZ know what the general consensus is regarding our ocean taonga. (treasure).

Recently the CEO of Seafood NZ a representative organisation of all sectors wrote in an update:

"That the proportion of New Zealanders who felt the industry’s reputation has deteriorated compared to the 12 months earlier increased from 10% in 2015 to 17% in 2016.

Those deteriorating public perceptions put us in a dangerous position the lead-up to a critical general election with a resurgent Opposition aligned with environmentalists that may be unsympathetic to fishing.

We have already seen Government policies out of left field around marine protected areas that impact on fishing space.

The best way to keep the politicians out of our industry and secure our property and customary rights is to enhance our social licence. If the public are reassured that we are good people doing good things for the benefit of all New Zealanders, the political parties will see no reward in challenging that.

To that end, work is well advanced on a communications campaign aimed at influencing public opinion.

It will go public in July, based on prime time television promise to protect our precious ocean resources.”

The above is the way the Fishing Industry is going to soften you up, the unsuspecting NZ public.

  1. Allocation Principle to Guide Decisions

The other urgent reform is a new Allocation Principle to be added the Fisheries Act. This Principle would guide Ministerial allocation decisions and be based on a commitment made by Labour Minister Colin Moyle, Minister of Fisheries, in 1989. This commitment is commonly referred to as Moyle’s Promise –

“Where a species of fish is not sufficiently abundant to support both commercial and non-commercial fishing, preference will be given to non-commercial fishing.

This position reflects Government’s resolve to ensure all New Zealanders can enjoy and benefit from our fisheries.”

This Allocation Principle needs to be added to section 10 of the Fisheries Act 1996 to achieve the following outcomes:

  1. Encourage fisheries to be managed at higher, safer levels.
  2. Demonstrate a clear disincentive and consequence to commercial overfishing and depletion.
  3. Guide Ministerial decisions so a more precautionary approach can be taken.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that commercial fisheries are wanting more fish. And the recreational fisher folk are basically getting in the way.

Scott states emphatically that:

The inshore zone needs respite care. Benthic (seabed) diversity and abundance needs restoring, and the priority needs to be to remove all industrial methods.

A century of ever-expanding use of heavy, bottom contact mobile gear has changed the seafloor from a thriving benthic community of organisms to a desert of fine silt. This silt is resuspended and distributed further each time mobile, industrial fishing gear is towed across the sea floor.

The Government needs to: Remove industrial fishing methods such as the appalling trawling, Danish seining and dredging, from the inshore zone.  LISTEN TO SCOTT  Tell it as it is.

$1.8 billion for export fish receipts   = 300,000 tonnes caught.   

Recreational fishers take approximately 10,000 tonnes = 10,000, thousand kilos = 10 million kilos of fish.

With NZ public participation of around 600,000 Kiwis who participate are spending approximately one thousand million dollars of which $130 million dollars is GST plus another $35 million dollars of PAYE from the 8,000 plus jobs that are generated by recreational fishing - that compares to the 20,000 jobs in the commercial sector - remember they are catching 94% of the fish taken each year.

Scott tongue in cheek states that when it is all financially sorted we the recreational fisher is paying about $20 per kilo of fish caught and then we give it away, we share with friends and neighbours. Saying there is a deep need to express ‘manaakitanga’ - the generosity of giving and sharing …

Bottom Trawling Needs to be Outlawed

Scott then tells of how the bottom trawlers drag across the seafloor surface destroying any possible semblance of an aquatic garden where fish live, and survive - turning it into a desolate area of total destruction that has never seen such devastation for possibly millions of years … mega millions of tiny little organisms and layer upon layer of sea creatures getting larger as the food chain increases up to the upper level fish.

The swath that is left, just wipes everything out into a desert of swirling silt and mud with visibility zeroed out and the surviving fish and other organisms somehow have to start all over again within a destroyed underwater sea garden. Knocking out huge numbers of ecological sensitive organisms whilst those in the trawler above have no idea whatsoever - of the holocaust they are causing down below.

Listen to Scott describe what is really happening. The Indiscriminate uncaring harvesting and when the net gets brought up on the deck - any fish not in the ‘quota’ are dumped over the side - in most cases already dead to float and rot and eventually sink.

Trevally are very NZ fishy story

Trevally, 800 tonnes of trevally are being exported year after year, after year - whole - frozen - no added value, no GST - full container loads to Saudi Arabia, France and the United Kingdom - at what price?  We here in NZ are paying around $12-00 a kilo but overseas we are giving it away at $2.70 cents and that’s a peak price. Where as trevally is one of the best fish on earth to eat as sushi. Japanese people living in NZ cannot believe their good fortune here.

Kahawai are being exported after being trawled up by the industrial Danish seiner fleets here in NZ. To be sold less than $5-00 a kilo is an insult - but is being sold for $1.70 to the Africans - the Cameroon and the Côte d’Ivoire, (the Ivory Coast).

This is not acceptable - if we cannot get more than $5-00 a kilo - leave it in the sea so that is can reproduce and double its size over a few years.

Crayfish (kura) are now in crisis  - they are disappearing and depleting … along the East Coast North of Whangarei down to East Cape covering hundreds of kilometres. 

The word depletion came up in tandem with ‘Sustainable’ as Scott sees that sustainable fisheries is not concerned about the sustainability of fish stock and the marine ecology - only that the fishing industry can sustain itself - whatever the costs.

Listen to Scot tell it as it is. Explaining the giant lie that is the ‘Quota Management System. (like clean green NZ)  He calls it sustainable depletion and is the Government’s name of the game.

This commercial fishing juggernaut in their submissions are consistently saying ‘more, more, more, more While the non commercial fishers position - are consistently prepared to say less, less, less, less and we are willing to come to the table … and talk about how they can constrain ourselves and shift our attitudes, expectations and behaviour to generate a rebuild and have abundance … Yet, there is only one side willing to come to the table! 

To get involved with Legasea

Send: Scott@legacy.co.nz an email or 021 macindoe =  622463 and have a Chat  and get in touch with reliable, professional courteous - ‘Less is more’ - regular updates.

NOTE:

We now have the NZ Government asking the Department of Primary Industries to double NZ’s export of fish by 2025 (same for Dairy exports). This is not taking into account at all the ecology and the environment that produces this abundance.

Amend the Fisheries Act

It is imperative to amend the Fisheries Act to remove the maximum sustainable yield.

The attitude of bulk harvesting and freezing and marketing in containers is pure idiocy - there is no respect of nature’s process, for the fish population or nature itself.  Everything is up for grabs. = Neoliberal Economics - winner takes all.

Home Support

Legacy now has over 400 business and affiliate organisations here in NZ supporting them and the NZ Sport Fishing Council   because they know if there is no inshore fish to catch they will suffer …

ITM all 100 outlets are behind Legasea  - Hunting & Fishing - Yamaha & Honda & Shimano and Rod And Reel -   Burns Co

FreeFishheads.co.nz -  this is big! 20,000 people have there name down for a free feed.  Scott thanked Matt Watson for making it happen. Go on line and put your name down - this way you can feed you family after a quick road trip to a beach near you and pick up some free fish heads and frames.

Check Papatuanuku kokiri marae in Mangere who have collected 6,000 kilograms of heads, frames and offal and taken it and ‘tidied it up’ and this rangitara kai has been given to needy appreciative people - the offal buried in their gardens.

This is a very social and community oriented project that is successful

Check out www.fishcare.org - for best practice - how to handle a fish how to best utilise such fish

0800 legacy

www.legasea.co.nz

When you are truth teller and are prepared to break with convention to get your message out at great personal sacrifice - spare a thought for the continuous courage of Scott Macindoe. This was as usual a very powerful and potent interview that will never get to MSM (Main Stream Media) as you will now know they are basically only aligned with the ‘commercial sector' - as in the US and elsewhere.

http://www.ourplanet.org/greenplanetfm/scott-macindoe-are-we-about-to-see-the-end-of-recreational-fishing-in-new-zealand


To those reading this semi transcription, I apologise - Doing the interview and recording, editing and transcription is a labour of love - it’s all voluntary - so if it seems a little wordy and convoluted - please know that everything you have seen and listened to here has been done in the spirit of goodwill and the best of intentions.  Naku noa Tim

Jul 6, 2017

We must demand rigorous ongoing and independent testing as to the effect of aerial 1080 drops on New Zealand’s wilderness, fauna and ecosystems.

Clyde and brother Steve have won International Awards for their 1080 NZ documentary, Poisoning Paradise

The movie Poisoning Paradise is about the aerial dispersal of 1080 throughout New Zealand in order to kill rodents, mustelids and possums. This poisoning now has become a highly controversial topic with conservationists, environmentalists, and members of the public.

Clyde Graf and Steve were sons of Egon, a professional deer hunter, based in NZ’s Te Urewera National Park.

In 1996, youngest son Steve went to Canada and videoed amazing wildlife footage. Returning to NZ he teamed up with his brother Clyde, and together they began to make The Graf Boys' videos.

Since then, The Graf Boys have produced six hunting and outdoors DVD titles, and two documentaries. Their documentary, Poisoning Paradise, has won four international awards (England, Ireland, Japan, and Culture Unplugged online festival).

See their YouTube Channel The Graf Boys.

What is 1080?

Sodium fluoroacetate, known in pesticide form as 1080, is the organofluorine chemical compound with the formula FCH₂CO₂Na. This colourless salt has a taste similar to that of sodium chloride and is used as a metabolic poison.

1080 is extremely toxic to all air-breathing organisms. It blocks the body’s muscle and organ's ability to absorb energy from its food, and results in a slow and inhumane death, typically 8 -24 hours for birds, 2-4 days for large mammals. There is no known antidote for this deadly poison.

Not only is 1080 highly toxic to mammals, birds and insects- one scientist has even discovered that it is toxic to plants and so forests do not do so well after 1080 drops.

Controversy

The latter may be controversial, but in general 1080 and its effects on animals through primary and secondary poisoning, and on humans through water supplies, is not well researched, especially considering the huge amount of 1080 poison tipped from helicopters over our forests. If there are any unanswered questions about its use and the results, then more research must be undertaken, not only by DoC (Department of Conservation) but by independent scientists, preferably from overseas, to avoid any collusion.

In this interview Clyde gives important information on the New Zealand government’s financial interest in 1080. New Zealand uses 80% of all 1080 used in the world. In fact it is banned in most countries overseas.

19 different native bird species have had corpses test positive for 1080 after aerial 1080 operations, however, it is known that the small sample size, and the lack of a control group needs highlighting. There is a need for long term population monitoring. These concerns are completely absent in DoC summaries.

Bird Deaths

Birds reported killed by 1080 poisoned cereal baits include morepork, weka, tomtits and grey warbler, and fauna known to eat cereal bait include kea, kaka, little spotted kiwi, kokako, saddleback, kakariki, pukeko, insects, koura and lizards.

The number of possums in New Zealand was estimated at 47.6 million in the mid 1980’s. When possum control is taken into account, the number of possums has reduced to an estimated 30 million as of 2008/9. This is not a very large reduction when considering both the environmental and the financial cost of the large scale poisoning operations.

In a Landcare Research document 2009 it states

Control of possums alone may not always have net benefits for native biodiversity because, for example, of the increase in rodent numbers, and hence predation on native animals, that can occur when possum numbers are reduced (Ruscoe et al. 2008).”

This is important because once the ecosystem is no longer managing itself and is interfered with by humans, it no longer functions so effectively. “It takes one year for rat populations to come back to pre-poisoning levels. By the second year rat numbers were higher than before the operation”, Dr Ruscoe from Landcare said. Scientists warn that this paves the way to rat plagues.

Poisoning from 1080 occurs through eating the dosed baits (cereal pellets) or from the flesh of poisoned animals. Carcasses remain poisonous until they are completely decomposed, which makes 1080 particularly lethal to dogs.

Dog Deaths

The Life Style Block (LSB) website states regarding dogs and 1080:

“Dog owners should take particular care near areas where 1080 poison has been used as dogs are extremely susceptible to the poison.

There is no antidote and it causes every appearance of extreme distress in dogs, and the signs can last for hours before the dog dies. It’s very distressing!

Poisoned carcases can remain poisonous to scavenging dogs for many months if they have been preserved in very dry conditions.”

Death from 1080 poisoning typically involves nausea, vomiting, convulsions, pain and foaming of the mouth, and can take anywhere from 1-72 hrs, depending on the species and the dose. From an animal rights perspective, we should not be allowing such an extremely painful death. Possums stoats and rats are not the only animals to die this way. Other wild and domestic animals become unintended kill, and it persists through the food chain.

Animal rights organisation SAFE has concerns over 1080 use and calls it a “cruel and indiscriminate poison”.

Do we as humans really have the right to kill sentient beings in such a gruelling manner?

Drinking Water?

Clyde is now involved in a new web site http://www.watersourcenz.org/ which will become live shortly ( if it isn’t already). On the home page it asks the question, “Do you drink bottled water sourced from New Zealand forests?” The question is relevant not only about bottled water but about water coming to us from such places as the Hunua dam in Auckland, which is fed from streams that have been in 1080 drop areas. Can we trust the DOC and health board information we are given when we know that government has financial conflicts of interest?  Listen to the interview for more on this.

In 2010, Scientists Pat and Quinn Whiting-OKeefe presented to Taupo District Council on 1080. They included the following information:

“First, there is not a single scientifically credible study showing that aerial 1080 when used on the mainland is of net benefit to any species of New Zealand’s native fauna. Thus the upside for native species is entirely unproven, despite 15 years of increasingly desperate attempts by DoC to show one.

Second, there is overwhelming evidence from DoC’s own research that aerial 1080 is killing large numbers of native animals, including birds, insects and other invertebrates. Moreover most native species remain entirely unstudied. Thus there is plenty of proven downside for native species.

Third, there is not a single ecosystem level study. That is, we don’t have the slightest idea of unintended consequences and secondary negative effects of which ecological science assures us there are many.

Fourth, while it is probable that possums, if unchecked, would in time cause some shift of tree species in our forests, the degree of that shift is not great and fear of canopy collapse is wholly unwarranted.

Fifth, DoC’s 1080 research is generally of poor scientific quality, is biased in favour of DoC’s agenda, and DoC chronically and systematically misrepresents what their own scientific research actually shows.

Sixth, regarding bovine tuberculosis (TB), AHB’s own research shows that there is a clear alternative: ground-based baiting with species-specific bait stations. Plus possums as a vector for bovine TB can be controlled by trapping or ground-based baiting solely at the forest pasture margins to a depth of 3-4 km.”

Clyde points out that New Zealand is classed as being free from TB, and that only 50 possums have ever been found to have been infected with TB.

The Whiting-O’Keefe’s two retired PhD scientists from the USA were interviewed about the problems of 1080 by GreenplanetFM.com - in 2010.

Alternative Strategy

In an article in The Otago Daily Times, rheumatology professor and keen tramper Fiona McQueen gives a solution to New Zealand’s pests, after being shocked at what was seen in Fiordland.

“An alternative strategy would be to incentivise possum trapping, boosting the fur industry and relieving unemployment in areas such as the West Coast. This could be achieved without the grim reality of ‘‘by-kill'' and allow our international ‘‘clean and green'' image to regain some credibility.”

This interview with Clyde Graf was sponsored by The Awareness Party

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