Newsletter March 2025

I am writing to let you know I have resigned from Fish & Game to take up the position of chief executive of the Game Animal Council (GAC).

I will remain here over the next three months to support Fish & Game to deliver key priorities and to transition to new leadership. Fish & Game New Zealand deputy chief executive Richie Cosgrove will lead the organisation in the interim.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege leading Fish & Game coming up to three years. I have enjoyed my time, the close-knit teams and appreciated the opportunity to work with you across the regions. In what other job can you drift dive a river in a wetsuit one week and then be standing in front of a select committee in a business suit the following week?

I have worked hard to prepare this organisation to be resilient and thrive into the future. Our organisational strategy, improved relationships across the sector and government, improved communications with our licence holders and our public awareness work mean that Fish & Game is engaged, responsive to your needs, and is a strong advocate for the interests of anglers and hunters.

My time spent with the organisation has been incredibly inspiring and one that I will genuinely cherish forever. 

CE Update

My big news aside there's a lot going on at Fish & Game New Zealand as we work to enhance angling and hunting opportunities while advocating for our freshwater environments.

It was great to catch up with the Minister for Hunting and Fishing James Meager at Parliament recently. We really appreciate having a Minister who cares passionately about supporting people to get out and rewild themselves in nature by hunting and fishing. We are excited for the year ahead and positive change for our organisation to become more modern and responsive to our licence holders.

 

Rebuilding Relationships

At times, the relationship between Fish & Game and New Zealand's farming community has been framed as one of conflict. The issue of freshwater quality and land use in some parts of the country has seen the two groups at odds.

I wrote an opinion piece about this to help rebuild those relationships which has been published in several newspapers. It was great to run this published in the Stuff group of papers as they syndicate their content across the country, and it means it gets greater reach. It was picked up and run by The Press, The Post, Waikato Times, Southland Times. Stuff has a viewership of 2.2M unique visitors every month. It was also read by the Minister for Hunting and Fishing, along with other influential MP’s and Ministers.

 

Fostering the next generation of hunters

It is a privilege to work with the Ben and Gerard Wilson in Central Hawke's Bay to run a competition to provide eight young aspiring game bird hunters aged 14 to 17 s two days of hunting in outstanding established wetlands on farms near Waipukurau on the weekend of 24-25 May.

Events will include early morning and afternoon hunting adventures. Former New Zealand clay bird shooting champion Dave Hearn will take the winners through firearms safety and a clay bird shoot. All accommodation and meals, including a duck dinner, will be provided.

We have so many passionate young people in New Zealand, who would love the opportunity to experience game bird hunting. Gerald Wilson and Ben Wilson are passionate about supporting the next generation of hunters, so are offering use of their spectacular wetlands.

 

Wetlands and Media Coverage

In the Tasman district, the Motueka Catchment Collective shows what communities can achieve when they come together. At its heart are passionate landowners who recognised the need to look at the catchment holistically. Everyone loves the river and understands that what happens on the land matters to what happens in the water. These grassroots movements prove that co-operation, rather than conflict, delivers results.

We've been promoting the important message of "Think small to make a big difference" when it comes to wetlands creation. Some landowners are put off by the idea of creating wetlands on their properties because of regulation, but in Tasman, if you keep it small, it's not too hard to do. Wetlands are important habitat for all kinds of birds like ducks, and wherever you live, we can help you with your vision.

You can watch our TVNZ story about it here. And read our media release here. 

I was also featured on NZ Hunter on Sunday night and bagged the first red deer of the episode. Do check it out on TVNZ+. It's free to register and watch shows.

 

Advocacy

We have been busy with submissions and information analysis for a range of legislative proposals. See the item in this newsletter for details. There's a significant amount of work involved with submissions and recently we've work on Biosecurity changes, Local Government Water Services, Afforestation, Conservation Law Reform and Arms reform. And of course, Resource Management is a key priority area.

 

Rewild Campaign

Our pre-hunting season Rewild campaign is about to start, encouraging New Zealanders to reconnect with nature through hunting. This initiative highlights the mental and physical benefits of outdoor activities while promoting sustainable interaction with our natural environment.

We are also running a TV ad, watch out for it during the NZ Hunter programme. The 30 second TV Commercial will run with all episodes of NZ Hunter Adventures Season 11 on TVNZ DUKE throughout 2025. That's eight episodes with 2-3 full season replays, reaching about 1 million NZ viewers across the year on DUKE.

 

Advocacy Update 

BIM

Read our Briefing to the Incoming Minister here.

 

Biosecurity Act Amendments 

We have sent a submission to MPI covering issues for Fish and Game. 

 

Conservation Law Reform 

We have submitted on this DOC consultation. Two key issues will include paying for access to conservation land and criteria for land disposals.  We have submitted against hunters and anglers paying for access.

 

Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill Resource

To align with changes introduced by the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2024, the Bill amends the scope of discharge rules under section 70 so that regional councils may include permitted activity discharge rules where standards will contribute to a reduction in adverse effects over time. 

Clause 15 amends section 70 (which relates to rules about discharges) to enable a regional council to include a rule in a regional plan that allows, as a permitted activity, certain types of discharge that may allow significant adverse effects on aquatic life. Our submission will be presented to select committee in March and will be available on our website then.  

 

Local Government (Water Services) Bill  

Part 7 of this bill contains a number of amendments to the RMA that exempt wastewater discharges from the usual considerations and allows for wastewater standards set by Taumata Arowai to override plans, NES, NPS etc. The standards are still being developed by DIA. It appears from the commentary that longer terms (35 years) and lower standards will be the end result.  The submission is here.

 

RMA Phase 3 

We continue to meet with the Ministry for the Environment to discuss RMA reform and talk about the new National Direction (replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management). We are preparing advice on Target Attribute States for this purpose.  

 

Firearms Reform 

The Ministry of Justice is consulting on the firearms law and regulation “for greater protection of public safety and simplify regulatory requirements to improve compliance”. 

This review, rather than offering options to comment on, opened up to suggestions from the submitters.

We worked with the hunting sector leaders to share our expertise and promoted the submission process to 140,000+ of our licence holders and also shared our submission with anyone who wanted help with their submission.

 

Fishing season

In the heart of Kahurangi National Park, New Zealand, towering limestone boulders, sculpted by centuries of rushing emerald water, dwarf an angler as he moves in sync with the river, fly rod in hand, stalking a fish—a moment where nature, art, and the quiet joy of fly fishing come together.

A beautiful example of rewilding yourself! Thanks to Luci Baus for this gorgeous photo and description.

 

Northland Fish & Game Connect with Rural Community at Field Days

National MP Grant McCallum visited the stand and chatted with the team

Northland Fish & Game staff engaged with the rural community at the Northland Field Days which ran from 27 February to 1 March 2025. 

Our presence aimed to strengthen relationships between Fish & Game and the rural community while improving public awareness about our organisation's roles and services. Our team had meaningful conversations with a diverse range of visitors.

Visitors approached our staff with various enquiries, with two main themes emerging:

• Questions about hunting and fishing seasons and regulations
• Advice on game bird management for pasture and cropping land

These conversations provided valuable opportunities to highlight how Fish & Game supports farmers and rural communities. The things we wanted to get across were:

Practical Support for Landowners

• Advice on landowner rights regarding hunting and fishing on private land
• Guidance on managing game birds that may impact crops, including permit requirements for controlling birds outside hunting seasons
• Information on maimai design, construction and registration

Wetland Creation and Restoration

• Planning and design services for creating wetlands that complement farm landscapes
• Connecting landowners with funding opportunities and grants for wetland projects
• Assistance turning "swampy bottom paddocks" into valuable assets that improve water quality, support biodiversity, reduce flood risks, and provide nutrient filtering

Supporting the Next Generation

• Partnership opportunities with farming leaders to support junior hunters develop skills and experience

The Field Days provided an excellent platform to demonstrate Fish & Game's commitment to ensuring hunting, angling and productive farming can go hand-in-hand.

Read more about how we work with rural communities here.

 

Family Fishing Day Brings Community Together Along Taylor (Omaka) River

Fish & Game Nelson-Marlborough manager Rhys Barrier explaining options for catching Lake Argyle trout to a participant of the family fishing day

Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game councillor Guy Gardiner recently organised a family fishing event that drew 40-50 participants throughout the day along the Taylor/Omaka stream in Blenheim.

"While our region doesn't have many family-friendly fishing opportunities, with Lake Argyle being the nearest spot where families can readily fish, we do have the Taylor/Omaka stream right here in Blenheim," explains Gardiner. "It's a very high-quality spring creek flowing through town with a good number of trout."

The stream's location is particularly valuable as it has four or five schools within walking or cycling distance, making it one of the few places where young people can easily access fishing opportunities. Though Gardiner acknowledges that catching the trout can be challenging, he notes that research shows "the tug is the drug" - the excitement of feeling a fish on the line is what hooks many anglers.

The event aimed to create a holistic outdoor experience with strong community support. The Marlborough Freshwater Angling Club provided mentoring and set up a tent for participants. Henderson's generously donated 12 fishing sets as giveaways, while Fish & Game offered information and licence support.

Marlborough Primary Health contributed to the event's success by providing healthy food options including wild venison sausages and trout from the hatchery, emphasising the connections with healthy eating and active families programs.

Many attendees came via the Rangitāne Facebook page acknowledging mana whenua and reflecting the event's focus on connecting with the natural world and healthy kai.

"What resonated most with people," Gardiner observes, "is so young people can get off their screens and replace a device with a fishing rod after school."

The successful community event demonstrated how local resources can bring people together while promoting outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyle choices.

 

Duck banding

Teams around the North Island have been duck banding.

Fish & Game has been banding waterfowl for more than 30 years. It adds to our understanding of numbers and harvest rates so we can sustainably manage hunting.

Several thousand birds are banded in our Auckland-Waikato, Wellington-Taranaki and Eastern regions.

MPI have also used the duck banding as an opportunity to test large numbers of wild birds for HPAI – these banding events are the only opportunity they have to access bulk numbers of wild birds in one go. This year nearly 900 ducks were tested.

Taranaki Field Officer Jack Harland and Wellington -Taranaki Manager Phil Teal banding in Whanganui in early February

 

CSI Stream study