Is New Zealand heading up sh*t creek? 14 people defecating in your local river would be outrageous. So why let even one cow do it? That means 4m cows pooing Sewage treatment or fencing and planting waterways removes pathogens. Nitrogen is more difficult adds nitrogen to waterways (which contributes to algai blooms) Nitrogen Pathogen adds pathogens to waterways (which makes people ill) 32x Total cow poo = Total Wee Poo people wee = Total people poo www.foodtechnology.co.nz 23 Did you know This is due to insufficent sewage treatment – less than half of provincial and rural council sewage schemes meet their resource consent conditions. By Geoff Simmons All over the nation this summer, swimmers are enjoying rivers, lakes or even estuaries to cool off from the hot sun. Burt every time they do, they’re probably sharing water with a beast…they just don’t know it. That’s the word from economist and Morgan Foundation general manager Geoff Simmons, who says the recent public outcry over images of beef cows standing in Canterbury’s Lake Taylor next to a Department of Conservation camping ground isn’t surprising, given that the animals – along with pigs and deer - enjoy wallowing in water. But Simmons says the Government needs to implement the Land and Water Forum agreement that all farmed animals that wallow be kept out of streams. Most dairy farmers have been taking action to keep their cows – and the associated poo – out of rivers and lakes, but there are no rules encouraging beef farmers to do the same. “Cows and bulls enjoy standing in water, especially in the heat of summer,” Simmons says. “When they are in water they are far more likely to excrete urine and faeces. As each animal creates 14 times as much excrement as a human, for 4 million beef cattle that is the equivalent of 56 million people defecating in our rivers and lakes. “This is a far bigger risk to our fresh water than freedom campers.” That 1% of NZ’s waterways in towns and cities are the dirtiest with bacteria 100x natural levels. 46% of NZ’s waterways are in pasture areas, and have bacteria 40x natural levels. Why is that? There are 6.5m dairy cows + 3.7m beef cattle = 10.2m cattle 95% of waterways are fenced on Fonterra dairy farms Each cow creates 16x as much wee and 14x as much poo as a human BUT 95% • Some farmers are still dumping effluent in streams • There is no requirement for sheep and beef farms to keep stock out of rivers • Dairy cattle aren’t subject to Fonterra rules when they’re on a sheep and beef farm (e.g.during winter) • Temporary streams are not counted. A cow is 50x more likely to defecate when standing in water than on dry land. Lets put this into perspective, shall we? New Zealand has 4.4m people We have 2.6m tourists, here for 9days each = 4.5m people 36x Total cow wee How much sewage does our national herd make compared to humans? in paddocks or rivers is the same as 56m people Sources: Fonterra Annual Report 2014. Statistics NZ - Agricultural Production Statistics. Morgan Foundation - The Goverment’s Fresh Water Policy - Revisited. DA IRY & ENV IRONMENT
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