Letters: Europeans to blame for New Zealand's depleted fish stocks

Maori sustainably managed fish resources for centuries, writes one reader. Photo / File

Mike McVicker's response titled "fish facts" (Letters, February 13) contains very few, if any, facts at all.

I agree with Ryan Gray in that Europeans are to blame for depleted fish stocks.

Mr McVicker is quick to blame Maori for overharvest, ignoring the fact that they had sustainably managed this resource for centuries before the arrival of the white man.

It is well proven that in the decade following the introduction of trout into our lakes in the 1880s the native fish population collapsed. Maori were then expected to pay to catch trout which replaced their main food supply. A few free licences is frankly an insult to the thriving healthy system they had carefully managed.

I am happy to see these bylaws progressing as Maori have always wanted to protect taonga species whereas Europeans always focus on money.

I believe the fox guarding the hen house, as Mr McVicker puts it, is in fact the current white management system and we have much to gain by the protection Te Arawa has wanted for so long.

Perhaps Mr McVicker would do well to research our local history and the sheer volume of damage Europeans caused with the arrival of introduced species before he accuses Maori of decimating one of their most valuable resources.

GARY COKER
Rotorua

Cover to covers
Re new library.

It would be appreciated if a covered walkway could be in place from and to the main entrance from Arawa St buses to keep books as well as customers dry in wet weather.

ALAN LORD
Rotorua

Science question
On February 9, it was reported that councillor Bentley voted against a motion to conduct a carbon and energy inventory, because he deemed it to be "questionable science". If this report is true, could he please explain to us exactly what is the "questionable science" he is referring to?

KEITH GARRATT
Rotorua