Newsletter September 2024
- 20/09/2024
- Maggie Tait
Tēnā koutou
Spring is in the air and for those of us who love to fish, anticipation is building for the season opening on October 1.
I encourage you all to get in early and grab your licence so you can focus on sorting out gear and planning trips with friends.
I don’t need to tell you, but fishing is great for physical and mental well-being; you can’t focus on problems when you are focused on a trout at the end of your line.
Fishing is also a great way to connect with whānau and friends, to teach children skills, instil a desire to protect the environment and help them learn independence.”
And it's great to see more and more women are giving angling a go.
My experience is that it’s liberating. It’s time to yourself, but it also means you can bring back something delicious and healthy for dinner.
New Zealand’s freshwater fishing offers great value for the challenges and excitement it provides.
Around the world, New Zealand is regarded as having some of the finest trout angling on the planet. It’s an amazing resource on our backdoor step and we work hard behind the scenes to keep it that way.
Advocacy
At times our advocacy work on behalf of our licence holders means we sometimes disagree with others, including the environment and rural sectors. Most of the time we're all on the same page but from time to time it's natural we will disagree as we work to protect the interests of anglers and hunters and the habitats and species they value.
We recently raised concerns that the EDS Restoring Nature report recommends replacing the Wildlife and Conservation Acts with new legislation that gives greater priority to threatened and indigenous species over valued introduced species.
What we know is that in many cases native and valued introduced species co-exist and, in cases where there are impacts on rare, threatened, or endangered indigenous species, we get involved to provide constructive solutions to protect these species.
I want to acknowledge EDS and the great work they do to protect our environment.
From time to time, we will have different views across our sector, but we will focus on the common ground.
We all face the challenges of environmental degradation, habitat loss and climate change and the threat they create for valued introduced and indigenous species.
We need to work together to combat or mitigate these threats, so all species thrive.
By recognising valued introduced species and protecting their habitat, we are also protecting freshwater species. That’s because trout and salmon have some of the highest freshwater quality and quantity requirements of many freshwater species.
Our community is key to this work.
Anglers and hunters are out there, off track, in New Zealand’s wild places. They’re involved in predator trapping, endangered birds’ recovery programmes and habitat enhancement. They’re among New Zealand’s greatest conservationists and really care about the environment and our iconic native species.
I have also been out and about promoting fishing and game bird hunting interests around the country.
At the top of the email is a photo I took of Lake Tutira in the Hawke's Bay which has historically provided a close-to-home and easy to access outstanding lake fishing spot. I was at a hui to connect with mana whenua and key stakeholders on development of a five-year plan to restore the site to its full potential.
Last Wednesday I spoke on a panel at a Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme event in Wellington. On the panel was also Forest and Bird's Richard Capie and Paul Melville from Federated Famers. It was a great discussion which traversed issues such as water quality, biodiversity and the challenges of competing interests and different priorities.
For me it absolutely showed how we need to work together to find solutions. We’re not going to make progress with a mindset of 'its this approach or that', we need to be open to multiple actions to achieve a goal.
It’s called a mosaic approach, and I think that’s where we can make progress, let’s find the common ground, think at a local catchment level, be agile about taking different approaches, and support grass roots initiatives.
Strong pool of candidates standing for Fish & Game councils
A strong pool of 127 people passionate about angling, game bird hunting and conservation are standing as candidates for the upcoming Fish & Game elections.
New Zealand’s 12 regional Fish & Game councils are statutory organisations elected by licence holders every three years and voting in the 2024 election opens on September 24 and closes on October 11.
Not all Councils are required to hold elections as in some cases there weren’t more nominations than places to fill.
Elections will however be held in seven regions: Auckland-Waikato, Eastern, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Nelson-Marlborough, North Canterbury, and Central South Island.
Licence holders are encouraged to enrol, which they can do up to September 11 and voting packs will be sent out from September 19. Voting will commence at that point and closes at 5pm on October 11.
Fish & Game represents around 150,000 licence holders and is comprised of 12 regional Fish & Game councils and the New Zealand Fish & Game Council. Each region manages regional sports fish and game resources and habitats and speaks up on regional issues.
More information on the elections can be found here or by visiting www.fishandgame.org.nz/about-us/elections-programme/
Fish & Game Campaign a Wild Success
Fish & Game is dedicated to protecting, conserving and rewilding New Zealand’s natural habitats. From our pristine wetlands and waterways, to the protection and management of vulnerable species, we work hard to promote and safeguard our country’s natural heritage.
We believe that everyone should have access to New Zealand’s fish and game resources, from anglers and hunters, to nature-lovers and conservationists. What we do is good for nature, and good for Kiwis’ mental health.
This is why we’ve been running our ‘ReWild’ campaign, which has seen us engage with more New Zealanders than ever before, seeking to hook them on the experience of freshwater fishing and game bird hunting.
Since launching ReWild at the start of November 2023, with the help of the incredible Dame Lynda Topp, we have spread our message far and wide, reaching over one million Kiwis across social media, YouTube and leading media outlets. Our ReWild messaging has been seen a total of 10.9 million times.
We wanted to not only reach but engage our audience and encourage them to ReWild themselves. We gained over 18,000 interactions on social media, including photos and stories of Kiwis out enjoying our wild places, as well as a 21 per cent increase in followers on our social media channels. There has been strong support from the angling and hunting community, who have continued to share our messaging throughout the last six months to their own followers and networks.
Read more here
ReWild your Kai photo competition
This photo was pulled from the draw of entries and won a Cross Hill Ultimate Relaxation package valued at $1,465!
In the pic are Harlee and his good mate Eddy, both aged 12. On this day Joe was out with the boys hunting waterfowl in the Waimea Inlet in Nelson/Tasman Bay.
"Harlee and I absolutely love the outdoors and love all aspects of it, we hunt waterfowl, big game and get into trapping and pest control in our area too," says Joe.
"Harlee's mate Eddy has shot his first deer with us and has been part of our adventures over the years, this year he has shown great interest in the waterfowl scene and has been out with us a few times hoping to shoot his first game bird.
"It's awesome to be able to get the kids into the outdoors and experience all it has to offer, from staying out in the bush to harvesting food and cooking it up on the open fire. We also love cooking and trying new things out with wild game. We also love salt and fresh water fishing so we are always up to something when we can get out and amongst it. Last week we used the last of our duck breasts and with some wild pork got some sausages made up and boy they are yummy."
Licences on sale now
Getting excited for the new fishing season? Licences are on sale now.
Pictured is wee Finn Wright from the Marlborough region with a 5.2lb rainbow trout he caught at Lake Argyle earlier this year. He was five at the time and his folks tell us he is hooked for life.
Tight lines Finn!
Legislative change
I recently presented our submission to Parliament’s Primary Production Committee on the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill.
At a high level we are seeking protection of habitat of trout and salmon, maintenance and enhancement of public access to freshwater and recognition and provision for freshwater angling/game bird hunting and amenity values.
We argue that environmental health is prioritised, to provide for human health and wellbeing as well as habitat for both indigenous and valued introduced species.
We raised concerns about the increased scope of changes a minister can make without consultation and advocated for keeping community participation. We also highlighted problems with pushing back timeframes on putting in place environmental limits for freshwater. Delays create uncertainty for everyone, including farmers and communities, and it also delays action where we have environmental impacts.
The other two main concerns in the bill were around stock exclusion from water ways and the management of intensive winter grazing.
Fish & Game appreciates it's difficult for sheep and beef farmers on hill country to fence all of their waterways. We advocated for an approach that identifies and manages critical source areas instead. That means that areas of the farm which collect effluent, and sediment and nutrient run off should be managed to protect rivers, streams and lakes. Freshwater farms plans are a useful too for managing this.
Fish & Game also support the retention of the Intensive Winter Grazing rules, or at least until proposed plans are notified that appropriately manage these activities. This is because removal of these rules removes environmental protection but also makes it more uncertain for farms to operate.
You can read the full submission here.
Once Bittern twice shy – the mission to count the shy and secretive Australasian bittern
A large, secretive and shy, wetland heron – the Australasian bittern (matuku hūrepo) – isn’t easy to find which makes it hard to count them but a committed group has conducted a survey of the threatened birds in Northland.
The bittern monitoring project (Matuku Mahi), involving Kiwi Coast, the QEII National Trust, Northland Fish & Game Council, Department of Conservation, Northland Regional Council and partners, surveyed the nationally critical threatened species during breeding season last year.
It was great to see bitterns have made four Fish & Game owned or managed wetlands their home. The Fish & Game wetlands are constructed wetlands, made and maintained primarily for game bird habitat and hunter access with funding from the sale of hunting and fishing licences.
Read more here.
Caption: Bittern in QEII dune wetland covenant Ruakaka - Photo credit Kieran Pullman
Shoveler Survey
Australasian shoveler duck or the Kuruwhengi, a native to New Zealand, have been counted each year for the last 25 years as part of Fish & Games waterfowl monitoring programme.
Counts are conducted throughout the country on the same day usually in the first week of August when the birds have congregated prior to dispersing to breed.
This year about 50 Fish & Game staff, Councillors, hunters, volunteers, and Ornithological Society of New Zealand members, counted 277 ponds, wetlands, lakes, and estuaries. Surveyors counted 12,514 shoveler duck which is the highest count since 2017 and 20th highest count that has been made over the 25 years.
We are very grateful to all the volunteers and staff across the country who spent their time and effort doing this important work on behalf of our hunters.
A detailed report analysing results is being prepared.
Spawning monitoring – measuring to manage
Fish & Game staff throughout the country conduct spawning surveys for trout and salmon to ensure there are sustainable fisheries for the future and to check up on stream and river health.
Fish spawning monitoring tells us if a population is in trouble, if sites have moved and need protecting, and help us with planning work.
Researchers have created a spawning model for the country which our teams are now out in the environment testing it in the field. This enables us to not only gain valuable information on where trout spawn but also on how healthy the fish are, the health of the habitat, and if there has been changes over time.
Read more about this work here.
Fencing for fish
Nelson-Marlborough staff, with the assistance of volunteers, completed fencing and flood gate repairs in the Upper Wairau, Rainbow River side spring.
Originally fenced off by the Acclimatisation Society, this spring-fed tributary is one of the key salmon spawning sites for the Wairau salmon fishery, with up to 524 adult fish having been recorded using it for spawning.
Pictured is a ford required for vehicle and cattle access to other parts of the Rainbow River flats which are extensively grazed in this high-country site each summer prior to the May salmon spawning season – around 300 metres of the spring head now has no cattle access again since repairing the fence, and the lower one kilometre of so below the ford is also now restricted to cattle grazing. Salmon spawn throughout the site and it is one of the highest used spawning sites for salmon in the entire Wairau catchment due to its large spring-fed nature.
Boggy Creek maimais
The North Canterbury team has begun building maimais for the Boggy Creek site on Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora. These will be a remarkable upgrade for those who either get them through the ballot on opening weekend or book them throughout the regular season.
Also in North Canterbury, the North Branch and Upper South Branch of the Hurunui River are becoming controlled fisheries for a trial of two seasons. For more details click here and for an easy to read poster click here.
Ten years of the Game Animal Council
Corina attended an event at Parliament to celebrate 10 years of the Game Animal Council, she is pictured with its Chief Executive Tim Gale.
Corina said it was energising to be at an event with people from the community.
"It was inspiring to catch up with so many people passionate about hunting and fishing and our way of life. I felt very much part of a hunting and fishing whānau and had meaningful conversations with people across the sector who were positive about the future of Fish & Game and the work we're doing.
"The event was a great way to reconnect with several of the people who were part of our Influencer's Forum which marked a step change for Fish & Game as we stepped into a leadership role and are now seen as part of a group who set the direction for our sector. We're looking at the next phase for that forum now and how we continue to build on that momentum."
Show Some Love to our Public Huts this November!
It’s a really critical time for our backcountry track and hut network, especially given that DOC is strapped for funding. Yet we know everyone wants to see this world-leading network of facilities carry on into the future.
One way everyone can make a difference is by giving each of our 900 backcountry huts a spring clean this November.
Those involved will spend an hour sweeping out the huts, cleaning the windows, wiping benches, taking out any rubbish, as well as leaving a spare roll of loo paper. Federated Mountain Clubs have a simple checklist everyone can tick off.
You’ll also give the hut a simple health check, that Federated Mountain Clubs can then feedback to DOC and the various groups who help look after them.
Federated Mountain Clubs has only just got things going and already they've got 225 huts signed up – ranging from at Rakiura Stewart Island all the way up to Great Barrier Island in the North.
It’s easy to sign up. Just go to www.fmc.org.nz/loveourhuts to register the hut you’ll spring clean.
Everyone’s getting involved, including Fish & Game, Federated Mountain Clubs' member clubs, NZ Deerstalkers Association, NZ Alpine Club and the Back Country Trust, as well as support from DOC.
Our backcountry huts and tracks are a key part of connecting Kiwis with our amazing places. They’re part of a legacy built up over many years. Many of our huts play a part in conservation activities, as bases for the trapping programs that run along many of our tracks. They’re also vital part of keeping everyone safe and providing ‘shelter from the storm’.
We hope to show some love to the entire network as together, we protect and strengthen our amazing network of public huts and tracks.
Clean, Check, Dry
Calling all anglers, boaties, and freshwater enthusiasts! Our lakes and rivers need your help. When you move between waterways, remember to Check Clean Dry to prevent the spread of invasive weeds and pests – every time.
Check Clean Dry is how we will contain the invasive clam— and doing Check Clean Dry also tackles invasives like the space-invading weeds lagarosiphon and hornwort, alligator weed, and also didymo. Remember, didymo has not spread to every place where it could survive; we’re containing hornwort to the North Island; and large investment is being made to push back lagarosiphon in the South Island.
For the coming summer there are two versions of the Check Clean Dry protocol – here’s how it works:
South Island recreational freshwater users: Stick to the tried-and-true, pre-clam Check Clean Dry method!
- CHECK: Remove all plant and other material from items that have been in the water
- CLEAN: Mix 10% dishwashing detergent with water, use to soak or scrub all items and leave wet for 10 minutes.
- DRY: Dry items completely and leave for at least 48 hours.
North Island recreational freshwater users: Follow the clam-inclusive Check Clean Dry protocol that will kill the clam as well as other invasives.
- CHECK: Remove anything visible like mud, weed or clams from watercraft and gear. Drain all river or lake water.
- CLEAN: Wash down your gear and craft with tap water, not into a stormwater system.
Use a cleaning treatment for absorbent materials:
- Soak in hot water (55◦C) for at least 5 minutes OR
- Soak in 10% household bleach for an hour OR
- Freeze solid overnight.
- DRY: Dry any areas where water has pooled. Then dry watercraft and gear to touch, inside and out and leave to dry for 2 days.
Be part of the nationwide Check Clean Dry circle and help keep our lakes and rivers healthy!
Trout Tacos
A great recipe for the BBQ, easy to prepare and put together.
A fresh dish that will be enjoyed by all. A nice way to serve these is self-help style; that is line up the prepared fillings or toppings and let everyone put together their own.
From a small trout you will make around 10-12 tacos.
Select here for the recipe.
