Vow of silence—claim

Press, 19 July 1989, Page 2

Vow of silence—claim

A “Mafia vow of silence” imposed by the Government on freshwater fishery professionals shows a proposal to legalise trout fanning cannot stand up to scrutiny, says the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. The Government clearly has no confidence in its case for trout farming, said two of the society’s vice-presidents, Professor Wallie Clark and Mr Murray Snowdon. “If the Government be-

lieved the proposal could survive bn its own merits j there would have been no ‘ need to impose a Ministerial omerta on all freshwater fishery professionals in MAFFish and the Conservation Department, said Professor Clark. . An omerta is the Mafia vow of silence. “Imposing a vow of silence on informed staff is only worth the risks involved if their testimony would threaten the pro-

oosals,” he said. Professor Clark’s comments came after a statement by an Opposition Member of Parliament, Mr Paul East, who claimed the trout farming debate was being muzzled, with public servants being warned not to comment on the issue. Mr Snowdon said the trout wildfishery and the associated tourism business was a $lOO million asset being placed in jeopardy.