Fish & Game Structure

Fish & Game New Zealand is the collective brand name of the New Zealand Fish & Game Council and 12 regional Fish and Game Councils, established in 1990 to represent the interests of anglers and hunters, and provide coordination of the management, enhancement, and maintenance of sports fish and game (Section 26B of the Conservation Act 1987).

The New Zealand Government expects Fish & Game New Zealand to oversee the effective management of the country’s sports fish and game resources carried out by 12 regions. To do this the Fish & Game New Zealand Council has a number of formal statutory powers, but the need for the whole organisation to work co-operatively in the interests of anglers and hunters is just as important.

Both the New Zealand Fish & Game Council and the 12 regional Fish & Game councils are public entities. They are not a government department and are not funded by taxpayers.

» Click here for more information on the New Zealand Fish & Game Council

The 12 Regional Fish & Game Councils:

The regional Fish & Game councils are the statutory managers of sports fish and game bird resources and their sustainable recreational use by anglers and hunters New Zealand-wide, except in the Chatham Islands and the Lake Taupo catchment which is managed by the Department of Conservation.

Use the clickable map at the top of the home page to read more about the role of the local Fish & Game Council in each region, as well as to find freshwater fishing and game bird hunting information specific to each region.