Time to end sad ‘sport’ of game fishing

It always makes me enormously sad to see yet another picture of a huge marlin dragged out of the sea and killed, being considered a “game” species. What makes some species of wild creatures of the sea considered “fair game”? Not long ago people used to go on Safari to Africa to kill such animals as lions and rhino, for “sport”.

People go to great lengths to save whales which strand on our coast, but hunt down and kill other large species just for fun. We humans have a very strange way of differentiating between creatures we consider valuable and those we think are not. Either way, this brutal slaughter of defenceless creatures should be branded for what it is and be outlawed immediately.

Glenda and Graeme Dykes, Red Beach.

Blood sport

It is appalling to read yet another story of “the boys” being “stoked” at having tortured and killed a magnificent marine creature such as a blue marlin. Many people see this for what it is — unacceptable cruelty. How long will it take for society to do the same and pass legislation to protect these increasingly endangered animals?

The media needs to be on board with the changing consciousness towards iconic wildlife. Instead of making heroes of these fake “sportsmen” they need to be named and shamed as animal abusers and ecological criminals. Sports fishing clubs are well past their use-by date. This is not a sport, it is human arrogance and violence. Paul Judge, Hamilton.

Singapore base welcome

Your correspondents Wyn Hoadley and S. Glover ask what the Government is thinking of in potentially allowing Singapore to base some fighter jets here for training purposes. The welcoming response of over 100,000 people to the foreign air crews, particularly the Singaporeans, at the RNZAF 80th birthday Tattoo at Ohakea last weekend showed many Kiwis believe we must play our part in regional defence, including air defence.

Since we have no fighter jet combat or deterrent capability ourselves surely it makes sense to welcome our allies who do, and be able to show our support if the chips are down. Maybe it is time we thought seriously about getting a fighter jet squadron of our own.

Stuart Gower, Otorohanga.

Chinese selling

It is no surprise that coastal North Shore showed the biggest drop in house prices in the last quarter (2.7 per cent). Over the last three years this is where rich Chinese property speculators concentrated their buying, scooping up a high proportion of our prime coastal property. They stop buying and prices drop. There is clear evidence they are starting to sell now but at massive tax-free profits. Despite denials from National these speculators have been a huge influence. If we want to make a real difference to affordability we should introduce a foreign buyers tax. It has worked well in Vancouver. Derek Wallwork, Milford.

Tree huggers

When the hills are alive to the sound of chainsaws and you come home one day to find the neighbour’s lovely oak tree reduced to mulch, and hear the Prime Minister, Bill English, talking disparagingly of “tree huggers”, it makes my upcoming choice in the battle of the bores so easy.

Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.

Reckless comment

Our new Prime Minister has used anecdotal evidence of New Zealanders failing employment drug tests to support high immigration rates. What an outrageous position to adopt. His first reaction should not be to write off these young Kiwis but to be concerned at how this situation (if real, he believes it is) has arisen, and what the Government could do to improve the situation.

Instead he supports reckless levels of immigration that have both forced wage rates down and contributed to impossible house prices, both creating despair for for anyone planning a future.

He is the Prime Minister with the massive resources of the state available to him. Use them to get some facts around this issue. Quoting anecdotal evidence is demeaning to the office of Prime Minister.

Bill Hansen, Mt Albert.

Alternative facts

The National Government has seen Trump successfully presenting falsehoods as “alternative facts” and has decided to follow his lead? The PM says the unemployed are not employable because they take drugs. The truth is 0.5 per cent have tested positive by the Ministry of Social Development. He says high immigration is caused by returning New Zealanders, the truth is the majority are new immigrants, 42,400 to 37,900 returnees.

Nick Smith says filthy lakes will be fit to swim in, as at the new swimmable level of 540 E. coli /100ml water you only have a 1 in 20 likelihood of getting sick with E. coli. The Hutt River will be the new swimmable level. So that’s an alternative use of the word swimmable as none of the locals would ever swim in the river due to its filthy state.

Watch out for more of the same from National as we come up to elections.

Frankie Letford, RD Hamilton.

Population growth

In 1986 Roger Douglas opened our borders to the third world. New Zealanders got a welcome increase in the number and quality of ethnic eateries. That is the only benefit to native New Zealanders. Growth of the human population is the driving force behind global warming, yet your editorial writer seems to lament that our population barely grew in the last quarter of the 20th century. How is it that human population growth is bad for the planet but good for New Zealand?

I do not welcome ethnic diversity. Nations are rich or poor for reasons of culture, not resources. Japan was bombed back to the middle ages but in less than 30 years it became the world’s second largest economy. Nauru in 1970 had the highest GDP per capita in the world but within 30 years was back to and remains a third-world state.

In the past 30 years New Zealand has been flooded by immigrants from the third world. New Zealand is slowly but surely transforming from a prosperous homogenous Anglo-Celtic nation into an impoverished polyglot nation, essentially Fiji with frost. C.C. McDowall, Rotorua.

Westbound train

Over two consecutive days we have had two spokespeople, Christine Rose and Cameron Brewer, pushing for a rail link from Huapai to Pukekohe. Brewer correctly refers to the “redundant” Huapai rail station, but does not explain why. At a rumoured cost of $2m, stations were put in at Huapai, Waimauku and Helensville and a train service put on to the CBD. It lasted only months because nobody used it.

I have lived in the Kumeu district for over 20 years and I have never met a resident who works in the CBD.

Before an intelligent company introduces a new product or service they do a market survey. In this case there should be a comprehensive survey already done which shows where everybody works, how they get there, what time they leave, what time they come home. I have never received such a survey form or phone call, and I do not know of anybody else who has.

There was a “survey” which asked people who worked in the CBD if they would like a train service and 90 per cent said yes. It was not mentioned what a tiny per cent of people were interested. Lies, damned lies and statistics.

Geoff. Levick, Huapai.

Job swapping

I look at the congestion across the bridge from north to south and wonder if people are doing the same job. How about an app that matches people with similar jobs so they don’t have to cross the bridge every morning. Less travelling, more time with the family, more money in the pocket.

Roy Taylor, Northcross.

Children of the poor

Non-government organisations and opposition parties are always blaming the Government for not doing enough to eradicate so called “child poverty”. I always wonder how no one utters a word to child poverty contributors. I believe there is an easy answer, after two children you must prove you have the means and ability to support a third child.

Ashley Mall, Mt. Albert.

Fake news

“The fake news media is the enemy of the American people”, says President Trump. However, the Washington Post, as rereported in Monday’s Herald, leaves out the word “fake” to suggest Trump is calling the media the people’s enemy. A subtle and deliberate lie which plays into the false narrative that Trump is threatening freedom of the press. More fake news.

Bill Dyet, RD Albany.