April 13, 2023
Hoof pointed at cows for freshwater mess
It’s the cows.
That’s the word from Green MP Teanau Toiono on news that most indigenous freshwater fish and bird species are either threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened.
A joint report from Environment Ministry and Stats NZ Freshwater Report out this week says despite the freshwater environment being central to tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori, it is under pressure from human activities on the land and in the water, and from climate change.
“It is agriculture. It is the cows. It’s having those regulations so loose people can keep pumping that shit into our awa. that’s not good,” Mr Tuiono says.
The Greens want to see farmers adopt more organic farming methods which is what consumers overseas want.