Yes that is right, Fish and Game NZ are going to ban felt soled waders from October 1st. The reason is that Fish and Game claim felt soles can spread didymo between rivers. However we are not banning trampers with wooly socks who may cross many rivers and streams in a days tramping, nor are we banning Kayaks or jet boats that travel between water sheds with lots of water in them. Nor are we stopping Dairy farmers in the South from taking water from didymo infected streams and spraying it on pasture that drains in to non infected waterways.
The North Island has no didymo infected areas so how excactly could my felt soled waders (which I also clean between watersheds) spread didymo in the North Island?
They would be better off banning the dim witted scientists who insist on useing the same sampling equipment between watersheds. They even caused a didymo scare by taking samples in the North Island in equipment already infected by use in the South Island.
Sorry for the rant but it seems to me the only guys taking the threat of didymo seriously are the anglers and the only guys being targeted by stupid rules are the anglers.
End of rant, sorry.
Mike.
Mike,
No need to apologize. It is the sound off section and you have a legitimate reason to rant.
Sure sounds like the NZ F&G might have a touch of "Load, Shoot, Aim."
Wow Mike, please keep us posted on this. 
Feel free to rant but just to balance the picture take a look at the biosecurity site for NZ. It’s the best I’ve seen on providing information about didymo.
The regulations cover just about anything (livestock, equipment and people) that can be controlled and moves from one waterway to another. Also, this site provides very good instructions for how to clean your equipment and what waters are more susceptible to didymo.
As far as banning felt soles, well I don’t know what evidence indicates that this will siginificantly control the spread. But as mike said it’s the fish & game that banned them not the government’s biosecurity organization. Here’s their story http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/Site/Features/FeltsoledFAQ.aspx#11
I appreciate the update and link, thanks.
Thanks for the links gzacckey I should have thought about including them in the first post. To give the biosecurity guys a bit of credit, there leaflets and information campaigns have been quite good, but again they are only targeted at anglers. Most 4wd, tramping, kayaking and rafting clubs and organizations seem to hardly be aware of didymo let alone how to stop it spreading. Even warning signs at the ferry terminal were only put up after pressure from anglers.
As a little asside the Government is currently looking at another massive irrigation system in Canterbury that will take alomst all the water from a number of streams, some infected and some not, to store in a lake and then spread over vast areas of land, most of which drains into rivers that are not affected by didymo.
Faced with stupidity on this kind of level banning felt soled boots seems to be a total waste of time.
Anyway, anyone coming to NZ for a fish after October should make sure they bring rubber soled boots, the fishing at the moment is a wash out but once we get a few days with no rain the central North Island will be the place to be.
All the best.
Mike.
Hi Mike,
I could accept this ban as reasonable if, as you say, an effort was being made to ensure all water users were being regulated to preserve the water quality. However, it’s almost as if they are punishing anglers for daring to make our concerns heard.
- Jeff
I think these guys may have worked fo Washington State’s Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and/or other WA state goverment dept. before working for NZ. A similar mind set when faced with problems regarding rivers and fish.