Rural / Country

Golden Harvest pulls carp farm application

10:43 am on 12 April 2016

A controversial application for a carp farm near Lake Taupo has been withdrawn.

Golden Harvest Aquaculture planned to have 20 large ponds at a site about 6km from Taupo and less than 3km from the Waikato River.

Photo: 123RF

The company aimed to ship 1 tonne of live grass carp a week to Auckland fish markets and also raise some silver carp to control algae.

The leader of the New Zealand Outdoors party, Alan Simmons, said if the carp got into Lake Taupo they would destroy the clean lake and the trout fishery.

Mr Simmons said carp were a highly invasive species and were causing huge problems in the United States.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said Golden Harvest Aquaculture had several outstanding issues that needed addressing, such as consultation with the local community, iwi and anglers.

"There's also been considerable public opposition to the proposal and by withdrawing Golden Harvest has taken note of this," said Ms Barry in a statement.