Taupo fishing fees up

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 392, 25 June 1991, Page 5

Taupo fishing fees up

From 1 July an adult's whole season Taupo fishing licence will cost $45, compared with $42 currently. Other classes of licence have also increased by similar proportions. Month, week and day licences will cost adult anglers $30, $21.50 and $8 respectively. Licences for children under the age of 16 will be $6 for a whole season and $1.60 for one day. Department of Conservation fishery manager John Gibbs said the increases were necessary to compensate for falling revenue due to a decline in licence saies. This trend began after the share market crash in 1987. Mr Gibbs said among the first savings people make in difficult economic times is to cut their spending on discretionary items like holidays and because the great majority of Taupo anglers are visitors to the area this is reflected in a downturn in licence saies.

The Taupo fishery is managed solely from revenue raised from licence saies. There are no general government or other funds supphed. DOC has cut its budgeted expenditure on the fishery by 25%

($280,000) this year, John Gibbs said. However it was still necessary to increase the licence fees to the new rates to meet the minimum level of funding required. The proposed budgets and new fees had been discussed with the Taupo Fishery Advisory Committee. They were concerned at the reduced level of funding available for the fishery. However it was accepted that the present economic climate to some extent dictated the fees that could be charged. Cuts had been made across the board, but

particular efforts had been made to maintain a high level of compliance and enforcement activity. It is intended to establish an additional permanent position in fishery enforcement early in the new financial year. While DoC regrets that licence fees had to be raised, the management and protection of the world famous Taupo fishery is paramount to the department. The benefits to the regional and national economy in excess of $30 million a year depended on the maintenance of one of

New Zealand's most important recreational resources. John Gibbs said that the new fees represented very good value for money. By comparison, a whole season licence in most of the rest of the country would cost $50 next season. Other changes in the regulations establish a permanent Taupo fishery advisory committee. The provision which previously allowed Taupo licence holders to fish in the Mohaka, upper Rangitaiki and upper Waikato rivers has been removed.