The Rail and Maritime Transport Union has repeated its call to end imports of “blood phosphate” from Western Sahara following a High Court judgement.
On 15 March 2021, the High Court of New Zealand released its judgment in Kamel Mohamed & Barton v Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, which concerns an application for judicial review of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund’s investments in Western Sahara.
RMTU National Secretary Wayne Butson says the ongoing importation of blood phosphate was unacceptable.
He says the RMTU is disappointed the Court dismissed the application for a judicial review.
“However, the Court has sent a clear message by noting blood phosphate imports pose a reputational risk to New Zealand’s wider interests.”
Mr Butson says it is inevitable the imports will end as international concern grows about the plight of the Saharawi people of Western Sahara.
New Zealand is the only country in the western world that still imports phosphate from Western Sahara, through fertiliser companies Ballance and Ravensdown.
Since 2012, pension and investment funds worldwide have excluded investments in companies involved in the exploration and extraction of resources in Western Sahara, including on the basis that the phosphate trade contributes to Morocco’s continued presence in Western Sahara.
In 2019 the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) passed a resolution condemning Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara and calling upon the New Zealand government to halt importation of phosphates from the area.
Ballance and Ravensdown., both Farmers Cooperatives provifing fertiliser that is part of the ground water load heavily polluting NZ lakes, wetlands, rivers and estuaries plus endangering the people of Canterbury and nearby to increased rates of coleractal cancer.
Apart from farmers en nloc refusing to recognise their filthy practices and are not acting to reduce stock, they continue to use fertiliser toxic to soil and groundwater.
Their mouthpiece organisations and distributers of mis-information also attempt to defend their importation of palm kernel and blood phosphate.
If all else fails they play angry victims.
There are some genuinely concerned farmers but the bulk seem to support the greed and irresponsibility encouraged by their national organisations and Fonterra.
The NZ public need to turn on these dangerous perveyers of future climate destruction and the wiping out of our fresh water health.
Greed sums up the banks who push farmers for increasing their pay cheques in spite of the consequences for the rest of NZ who are heavily subsidising the destruction and greed.
With earlier importation of Phosphate and application on Dairy land. large tracts of Taranaki and Waikato cannot be used to grow plants for human consumption as the land has been toxic-ally polluted with cadmium and that may last for centuries.
The Farmers cooperatives have no care or duty to look after soil.
The economics of running a farm without fertiliser is well established.
https://pureadvantage.org/news/2020/04/30/the-science-of-regenerative-agriculture-with-dr-gwen-grelet/
Farmer “count the costs of new regulation” but never count the cost of the environmental damage created, and nor the subsidy that would be needed of many billions just to try and clear up the mess in waterways that they have caused. The massive and quite widespread ground waters pollution just cannot be addressed unless the source from farms is halted.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/300092203/farmers-count-costs-of-new-freshwater-regulations.
The play victims and may well be victims of the situation caused by the expansion of dairy and higher milk output subsidised by Kiwis.
https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-government-ignores-expert-advice-in-its-plan-to-improve-water-quality-in-rivers-and-lakes-139554. Ant scientist who speaks out on the science of fresh water, soil or the environment will get heavy kickback from farmers organisation who appear to have MSM behind the.
So the public remain confused of a relatively simple and well researched matter.
The government pressued bu the farmers organisations ignored the findings of a very well qualified group of scientist who gave their time for the sake of NZ.
Ken Taylor – Our Land and Water National Science Challenge (Chair)
Dr Adam Canning – Fish and Game
Dr Bev Clarkson – Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research
Dr Bryce Cooper – NIWA
Dr Chris Daughney – NIWA
Dr Clive Howard-Williams – NIWA
Dr Dan Hikuroa – University of Auckland
Graham Sevicke-Jones – Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research
Prof. Ian Hawes – University of Waikato
Prof. Jenny Webster-Brown – Lincoln University and University of Canterbury
Dr Joanne Clapcott – Cawthron Institute
Dr Jon Roygard – Horizons Regional Council
Dr Marc Schallenberg – University of Otago – Past President of New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society
Dr Mike Joy – Victoria University of Wellington
Ra Smith – Kahungunu ki Wairarapa
Prof. Russell Death – Massey University
https://www.mfe.govt.nz/fresh-water/science-and-technical-advisory-group
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