The call from Federated Farmers to block access to farms comes as it is at loggerheads with Southland Fish & Game over a controversial court decision.
As it stepped up its war of words with the angling advocacy group, it yesterday accused the group of "persistent, belligerent anti-farming rhetoric", requesting farmers in the region ripped down access signs and blocked anglers from their land.
Southland Fish & Game manager Zane Moss said it was everyday New Zealanders who would suffer from the move by Federated Farmers.
"It is disappointing that Southland Federated Farmers are using this issue to limit access for everyday New Zealanders wanting to catch some fish to unwind or for the dinner table.
"The Federated Farmers comments don’t reflect our experiences of working constructively with Southland farmers."
He noted Southland Fish & Game was involved in the recent Environment Court action, where it gave evidence alongside parties including Federated Farmers.
"Based on the evidence, the court concluded our rivers were significantly degraded by diffuse discharges, and that the rules in the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan weren’t sufficiently robust to ensure that it didn’t continue.
"Environment Southland should put effective rules in place around the riskiest practices so all farmers are not required to seek consents."
Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick said the court decision would force 3000 Southland farmers to apply for a resource consent.
He went after Fish & Game.
"Farmers have always allowed anglers to walk across their land as a gesture of goodwill but, unfortunately, that goodwill has been completely eroded by Southland Fish & Game.
"We’re fed up with Southland Fish & Game’s persistent, belligerent anti-farming rhetoric and their opposition to everything we do."
It had tried its best to maintain a relationship with Fish & Game, but the group had "washed that relationship away down the Mataura River", he said.
Federated Farmers suggested its members replaced access signs with orange ribbon and said the boycott call applied to Southland only.
People would still be able to access rivers, Mr Herrick said.
"They’ve just got to walk a little bit further, and if they have an issue with what we’re proposing, put it back on Fish & Game because it’s Fish & Game using their funds from the licensing to fight pointless bureaucracy in court that has no beneficial outcome to the environment."
He did not believe this could lead to confrontation between farmers and anglers.
