Greenpeace Aotearoa is welcoming the announcement from
the Green Party that, if elected, they will phase out
synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, reduce the size of the dairy
herd and lower the legal limit for nitrate
contamination.
However, Greenpeace Freshwater
Campaigner Will Appelbe warns that this is not the end of
the road for water protections.
“We welcome the
announcement from the Greens that they will implement
common-sense bottom lines for freshwater management and
tackle the source of the pollution – the intensive dairy
industry. But more needs to be done,” says
Appelbe.
“Places like Canterbury and Southland are
experiencing a nitrate crisis. Rural drinking water is being
poisoned by fertiliser runoff and cow urine. And we need
action now.
“The dairy boom in those regions occurred
over a relatively short space of time. We know we can change
land use practices quickly, which those communities dealing
with nitrate contamination desperately
need.”
Greenpeace is also welcoming commitments to
protect more of the ocean surrounding Aotearoa, including
phasing out destructive fishing practices like bottom
trawling on seamounts.
Oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper
says: “Protecting vulnerable habitats from bottom trawling
is urgent,so it’s good to see it recognised in the
Greens’ policy. We would like to see a timeline for this
as it’s imperative bottom trawling is banned on seamounts
by the end of 2027. Every year of delay is just furthering
ocean depletion.”
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Greenpeace is calling on the Labour
Party to adopt the policies.
Appelbe says, “It’s
time for Hipkins to copy the Greens’ homework, and take
action to stop dairy pollution. There is no time to lose,
and peoples’ lives depend on it.”
Nitrate
contamination in drinking water has been linked to several
health risks, including bowel cancer and preterm birth. A
2022 study revealed that up to 100 cases of bowel cancer and
40 deaths every year could be caused by exposure to nitrate
contamination in drinking water.
Hooper says, “New
Zealand has fallen far behind other parts of the world when
it comes to looking after the diverse ocean that surrounds
us. We are hopeful that strong policy to protect it from
destructive fishing techniques will give the ocean we all
love a real shot at recovery.
“
