New Zealand rejects trout farming

Odd Grydeland The fact that New Zealand trout are gorging themselves on mice was news to me, but as Josh Reich from The Nelson Mail reports, this is of no concern to the country’s sport fishing industry. But mention the idea of commercial culture of trout, and everybody gets their shorts in a knot, and government agencies seem to be buckling under pressure;Fish and Game has dismissed suggestions that trout be commercially raised, saying the possible risk from disease and impact on those on fishing the species for fun is too great. In a submission by Federated Farmers on restarting aquaculture, which is being looked at in the light of the release of a report from an aquaculture technical advisory group last year, president Don Nicolson said Federated Farmers believed there was considerable scope for land-based and freshwater aquaculture. "We're looking to the future in order to generate opportunities to grow farming in all of its guises. This includes the farming of whitebait, freshwater mussels, eels as well as freshwater crayfish. Even paua can be farmed in land-based operations as is done in Australia. The one no-go area seems to be trout, which is odd, given trout is a member of the salmonidae family and there's no qualms about farming salmon." Mr Nicolson said fly-fishing tourism in Scotland appeared to be unaffected by having sea-run trout sold in British supermarkets, and being able to buy salmon from retail outlets did not prevent others from trying to catch it wild. He called for the repeal of the non-commercial status of the fish. "I must ask why isn't New Zealand farming trout as we do salmon? Lifting this ban creates a new business opportunity for the country." Nelson Marlborough Fish and Game manager Neil Deans said the issue of commercially harvesting trout raised its head from time to time, and was like a "red rag to a bull" for many recreational anglers. There were many arguments against the commercial farming of trout, including the risk from disease. "There are a number of diseases which are rare in the wild population of the fish, but are not uncommon in facilities used for commercial growth ... then you start moving the fish around frequently and you can spread it to wild stocks." Commercializing the resource would fundamentally alter its nature. "For example, when you want to go fishing now, most landowners are relaxed within reason about access across their place or down a road or lane or something down to the river. If they realize there is money in that it becomes a completely different proposition. "The resource as a whole becomes valued for a different reason." Comparing trout and salmon was not a fair comparison. "So you've got a less valuable product which is more expensive to grow [trout], and until recently the salmon industry in New Zealand was struggling, so you've got to ask yourself, `Who would want to do it?’ The call from Federated Farmers comes as anglers report huge trout are being caught in the top of the South Island thanks to a boom in the mouse population. The Marlborough Express reported today that an Australian couple caught two 5.3kg brown trout, 20m apart, in the area. "A big fish like that only has to shake his head, he'll break the line," said Strike Adventure fishing guide Tony Entwistle. "If they were humans they would be berated by the health professionals as being obese and yet trout fishermen find these fish attractive." Mr Deans said trout grew quickly when feeding on mice, and he had heard of trout being caught with as many as 15 mice inside them. "I don't know what goes through the minds of rodents to drive them into rivers, but if they go into the water they are vulnerable."