Extension for grass carp submissions

Press, 15 May 1985, Page 24

Extension for grass carp submissions

Wellington reporter Another month has been given to anyone who wants to make submissions to the Ministry of Fisheries on the future of grass carp in New Zealand waterways. The extension of time results from a complaint by the Wellington-based conservation group, Action for Environment, that calling for submissions on April 27 and closing them on May 3 did not give long enough. “We consider this a scandalous disregard of the principles of open government,” said the group’s secretary, Mrs Helen Rainforth. As a result, the Fisheries Research Division of the

Ministry has extended the closing date for submissions to June 3. Action for Environment strongly opposed the spread of grass carp in waterways outside their present distribution. There was concern about the impact the fish might have on fresh-water ecosystems containing native birds, insects, plants and fish. “We recommend the immediate implementation of a policy of eradication of all grass carp in New Zealand, both from within zones where they were released for experimental purposes, and from areas into which some have escaped,” Mrs Rainforth said.