ACCESS TO FISHING WATERS

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 165, 25 March 1955, Page 4

ACCESS TO FISHING WATERS

The problem of access to fishing waters in the Taupo Fishery I District is one that has been a burning topic for many years. At fj recent Annual Conferences between the departmental officers and | delegates of angling organisations, there have been many refer- Jj ences to it, and one aspect that has been stressed has been the 1 danger that increasing subdivision and sale of land adjoining fish- 1 ing waters might, if vigilance.were not exercised, deprive anglers 1 of reasonable access. The report, elsewhere in this issue, of the blocking of an .I access route to the eastern side of the Waikato River below the I Aratiatia Rapids, by fencing being done in connection with the j Land Department's land development projects is one that anglers j will find most disquieting. As is well-known, the fishing water 1 affected is frequented by many fishermen, and the statements quoted in our report as to its popularity and value are in no way M exaggerated. It is an unfortunate fact, as all responsible sportsmen will 1 acknowledge, that difficulties have arisen in connection with |j access for pui'poses of fishing or shooting, over areas developed 1 by the Lands Department and the Maori Affairs Department, due 1 to damage to stock done by irresponsible trespassers. This par- 'j ticular problem does not, however, come into the present caser i The position here is, that provision should be made now, before j the development project is allowed to go so far as to make altera- J tions difficult, to preserve access to the Fulljames Camp area. . The importance of preserving the present availability of all 1 fishing waters is such that there should be no question of this 1 not being done. If the present access route to the area cannot w be made a public road, conveniently to the needs of the land de- j velopment project, then a different route to the area should be 1 provided, and dedicated as a public road. The importance to the district, and the country, of the de- |j velopment work being done by the Lands Department, is of 1 course, unquestioned, and is fully appreciated by anglers. Their 1 concern over what appears to be the danger of losing access to 1 the fishing water in question involves no lack of recognition of j that importance. We have no doubt that the matter can quickly fl be put right, and it is to be hoped that representations by the 9 angling interests will be followed by inter-Departmental consul- 1 tation, aimed to restore or replace at once the access so long en- j joyed and Valued by anglers.