The Board

Paul Arden wrote:I don't like the spirit of it, and to me it has negative undertones of you're not really welcome here. They've actually just brought out a foreigners license in NZ. I haven't fished NZ for quite a few years - the exchange rate is a bit of a killer now - but I did spend a lot of time out there. Almost 20 seasons.

Something I started to notice maybe 7 years ago was the growing discontent with foreigners fishing "their water". There were articles in magazines about whether they should be charged more or made to fish with a guide. I think essentially they were driven by jealousy. You have the situation on the flip side where a local gets one day off to fish and he finds that some foreigners are already fishing his river or have camped there etc etc. And so this license introduction to me is just an extension of that. I guess they've had enough of us!!


Cheers, Paul

Not even close Paul. Out backcountry fisheries are under immense pressure as you well know and these, surveys have shown are the preferred domain of most tourist anglers. Fish and game nz are not government funded at all. They are spending increasingly more time in court fighting for and protecting our fishery. They need more money. All extra revenue gained from the non resident license is earmarked to go directly back into these backcountry fisheries. The 24 hour license is still available to non resident anglers and one would have to fish around 6 days to match the NZ resident full season license.

So if you fished 7 days and bought a non resident license you would simply be spending less than a pint of beer a day extra. I dont see a problem here and think its fucked that some are claiming 'its the principal'. It certainly hasnt stopped my season from fully booking out and there is only a minority that seemto have a problem with this.

Its cheap, its good. Get over it.

Why not have a backcountry license fee then?

Because how do you know where you're going to fish tomorrow Paul? Enough visitors have enough trouble keeping up with regs at the moment. This is simply the easiest to administer with least impact way to go. It's a 24 pkt of beer...

So you're saying it's because visitors can't tell the difference between backcountry and lowland?

This must be the Australians.

You get the same "welcome" from Aberdeenshire Council here in Scotland Paul

See the Aberdeenshire Council run fishing prices here!

Although I think they try to make out that locals pay less, rather than visitors pay more! ..... A lot more.

Cheers
Mike

Still sounds cheaper than fishing in Hampshire.

I assume they'll put the money to good use.

In Hampshire, you pay the money to the private (most likely) estate which owns the land through which the river runs and they maintain the fishery.

I don't know how it works in NZ, but it seems to me you pay your money to a different person, but then the structure is different.

Still seems a pretty good deal to me and I wouldn't begrudge the locals a slightly better deal.

Hope to visit the Southern Hemisphere next UK winter. NZ if I can make it work.

What about black people? Pay more?

Hi Paul,
about the main quest: No, they should not!

But there is something I personally do understand pretty well. And that is, when locals have an excellent fishing water in front of their living place and can't fish there at all (because of no chance to pay for the license - too expensive - or don't getting one at all). That feels wrong to me as well.

I see that happening in Norway at quite some Salmon rivers like Gaula. Someone from Sweden, Germany or Finland is renting the whole stretch of the farmers for some serious money. He then uses the internet to make large advertising finding many people to be willing to pay even more money to fish in that stretch.
In the end the locals don't get a license anymore or can't pay such high money.

Personally I do not like the idea that only rich people can fish the hot waters.
I think locals should always get the first access.
Why? I think that would just be fair.

Anyway in the end it mostly is about a) money and b) what those want who own the fishing rights.
Not much to do about that, I think. Just human behaviour?
Cheers
Bernd

p.s.: Am not returning to BC unless I can fish the weekends again. Oh, and I am a Steelheader not an Pacific (almost dead) salmon hunter.

I agree with that of course. In Bosnia for example there is a year license that is far cheaper than the equivalent in day licenses which are bought by foreigners (although they can still buy the season).. But it's difficult to compare Bosnia to say NZ. For example Chris earns in one day of guiding slightly more than your average Bosnian earns in two months.