Anglers urged to ‘have a say’ on fishing rules

Anglers are being urged to take the opportunity to have a say on Eastern Fish & Game fishing rules that are under review.

The angling rules are reviewed every second season by the Eastern Region Fish and Game Council.

Right: Willhemina Krebs, Lake Tarawera.

Regional Manager Andy Garrick says submissions on the ‘rules & regs’ for the 2018-19 fishing season are welcomed “whether you’re a dedicated fly fisher, a boat angler, or a casual spin fishing angler.”

“Our sports fishing regulations are of necessity something of a balancing act where we need to set rules to ensure the sustainability of fisheries, while not unnecessarily restricting angler opportunities,” Mr Garrick says. 

“We also want to keep the rules as simple as we possibly can to minimise the confusion they sometimes produce, and to remove the barriers to more people participating by making the rules easier to follow.”

The review process is a perfect time for licenceholders to get involved in management of the fisheries he says.

 “We welcome constructive ideas and would appreciate hearing from you if you have strong views either for or against any of the proposals that are being considered.”

Mr Garrick says proposals on the table include the removal of some seasonal ‘fly fishing only’ rules in a number of areas around the shorelines of Lakes Rotorua, Rotoiti and Tarawera which are complex, generate confusion, and are seen as discriminatory by some licenceholders.

He says Fish & Game has tried to make it as easy as possible to have a say on these and other proposals which include:

• Removing the ‘Fly Fishing Only’ restrictions from part or all of the Ohau River Channel.
• Changing designation of areas within which boats must be anchored when trout fishing.

•  Prohibiting the use of multi-point hooks (doubles/trebles etc) within the Eastern Fish & Game Region.

The document containing the full list of proposals can be found below. Click on the document to download it. 

Fish & Game welcomes submissions emailed to mosborne@fishandgame.org.nz

If you’d prefer to write, send your comments to: Eastern Region Fish & Game, Private Bag 3010, Rotorua 3046.  The deadline is 20 March 2018.

The proposals for the 2018-19 season, will go before a meeting of the Eastern Fish and Game Council in June 2018.

If adopted, they would come into effect from 1 October next year.