Fish & Game New Zealand announces leadership structure to support Ministerial reforms

The New Zealand Fish & Game Council has announced a leadership change to provide strategic direction for the sector and support the implementation of proposed legislative changes designed to strengthen and modernise the organisation.

Corina Jordan, current CEO of the Game Animal Council, will be seconded to serve as CEO of both New Zealand Fish & Game and the Game Animal Council on a fixed term basis.

This joint role recognises the significant overlap of interests between Fish & Game licence holders and other game hunters, who hunt valued introduced species, and share environmental and community values.

The joint CEO, Corina Jordan, will be supported in Fish & Game by the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, Richie Cosgrove, who has been serving as Acting CEO, and will transition to this role.

In this position, Cosgrove will provide operational management of Fish & Game whilst supporting the implementation of legislative changes with minimal disruption to day-to-day business.

This will ensure that Fish & Game maintains its capability to fulfil its current purpose whilst best placing the organisation to work with its stakeholders and the government to ensure that legislative changes strengthen the organisation and the sector.

Jordan was CEO of New Zealand Fish & Game from 2022 to 2025, and led significant change across Fish & Game in modernising the organisation.

“The reforms to Fish & Game provide further opportunity to build on this work, and as such having continuity in strategic leadership is important,” New Zealand Fish & Game Council Chairman Barrie Barnes said.

"This is a measure that draws on Corina’s extensive knowledge, policy expertise and leadership skills to support and guide Fish & Game through upcoming change.

“It will help ensure the proposed reforms are implemented effectively, while looking after the interests of New Zealand’s angling and hunting community.

“Richie will remain a leader in his new role as Chief Operating Officer, ensuring operationalisation of Fish & Game’s core statutory functions, and working closely with our regions to maintain a unified organisation during this period of change."

The arrangement will see costs shared between the two statutory bodies and is designed to support the effective management of strategy and implementation of the Ministerial changes whilst maintaining Fish & Game's accountability to licence holders.

The sharing of a joint CEO with the Game Animal Council, along with the creation of the COO position, will ensure that Fish & Game continues to build on the substantial work undertaken over the last three years in meeting the needs of game bird hunters and anglers, increasing value for licence holders, and promoting healthy habitats and ecosystems.

“Importantly, this will also best place the organisation to represent licence holders and strengthen the recognition of hunting and fishing and valued introduced species and their management, through this period of legislative reform,” Barnes said.

Corina Jordan said the move was a practical step.

“Hunting and fishing bring both economic and societal benefits to the New Zealand community,” Jordan said.

“The value of which can be measured in more than dollar terms, including improved mental health and physical wellbeing, a sense of community, conservation benefits, and attracting the next generation of hunters and anglers to continue our outdoor traditions that Kiwis value so much.”

Caption: Corina Jordan