Make The Taupo Fishery the 13th Fish and Game Region.

"The Outdoors Party will seek to change management of the Taupo Fishery from the Department of Conservation to Fish And Game" said Co-Leader, Alan Simmons. The fishery would become the 13th Fish & Game region and come under local management by an elected council of local people.

Since 1990 New Zealand’s most iconic trout fishery has been managed separately by DoC, on behalf of the Crown, whilst the rest of the New Zealand freshwater fisheries have thrived under Fish and Game. Alan Simmons said "The Taupo fisheries team are under-funded, under-resourced and the fishery has suffered from a drop in license sales every year since to half of what it was. There is no communication with license holders and the Taupo Fisheries Advisory Committee, the anglers’ only opportunity to input into the fishery, has failed completely.”

In contrast, fisheries managed by Fish & Game are run by angler-elected Councillors and provide extensive research, communications and feedback for their license holders."

The Taupo Fishery is of vital importance to the region, bringing in upwards of ninety million dollars per year to the local economy, but has been pared to the bone by DoC, with rangers and fisheries scientists now largely absent.

"The Fish & Game model could allow for Ngāti Tūwharetoa, owners of the Taupo lake bed, to have permanent council positions and a much better say in managing a resource that has become very important with local Maori for both food and sports fishing." Alan Simmons said. "Now that the annual payments for the use of Lake Taupo are no longer tied to license sales there is no reason for the Department of Conservation to continue with a small marginalised management team at Taupo that does not fit with the Department’s preservationist culture."

The NZ Outdoors Party recognise that agreement of the Tūwharetoa Maori Trust Board is central to this proposal.

ENDS

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