The relationship between Southland’s branches of Fish & Game and Federated Farmers became estranged last year after a court decision.
At the time, Fed Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick proposed a boycott of Fish & Game, and earlier this week he encouraged anyone wanting to shoot ducks in Southland this season to buy their licence from another region.
In response, Fish & Game Southland council chairman Lindsay Withington labelled Mr Herrick’s actions as a bullying campaign.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford said the national body was backing Mr Herrick and its Southland team 100% on the issue and he believed the local farming community and many from across the country would also agree with them.
There had been a lot of issues recently with Fish & Game Southland which included a recent court action that would require 3000 Southland farmers to get an expensive resource consent just to continue farming lawfully, obstructive behaviour opposing the removal of gravel from clogged-up rivers that risked huge flooding issues for local farmers, and opposition to opening the Waituna Lagoon to the sea, he said.
"Southland Fish & Game have been well out of line for a long time now.
"They’ve caused all kinds of headaches for local farmers, and they’re finally being pulled up on it."
Mr Langford rejected Mr Withington’s claims of bullying behaviour by the Southland branch.
He said this was just "a grassroots farming leader standing up for the community".
Mr Langford also advised Fish & Game Southland the pressure would continue to stay on them until they could see some changes in the behaviour and some actual leadership from their local council.
"Instead of ducking for cover and saying ‘there’s nothing to see here’, I think Fish & Game actually need to look inward on this issue and consider why Southland farmers are so rarked up in the first place."
