SUPPORT COMMENTS

"It's great to see people come together over these sorts of issues to fight government policies and industry bullies. I doubt whether commercial fishing in the world will have much of a future by the end of this century, so any control of resources and rights that New Zealand recreational fishermen can gain is vital. This matter of licensing seems to be another way to squeeze us for another dollar, let's hit the little man they say. I say support Option4 together with strength and unity call on the support of Tangaroa and bring on the fight.

Thank you Option4 for your hard work thus far. We all know how helpless it can feel when the enemy is the dollar so, brace yourself for the hard work ahead. Use all your skills to lure them to where you want, like crays to the pot."....Julian Arahanga

Recreational fishermen do not sell fish!

(Quote) The official keeper of words, defines 'Commercial as - "Made,done or operating primarily for profit" Lets take this one step further - "Profit" is defined as "The sum remaining after all costs, direct and indirect are deducted from the income of a business".
Now the word "Recreation" - a leisure time activity engaged in for the sake of refreshment or entertainment". Nothing about Monetary gain in this definition. (unquote)

My cost for an eight to nine hour fishing trip in my boat is approximately -$20 for bait, $20 for diesel (20litres) plus $10 for incidentals. Lets mulitiply this times 10 - the number of trips I might make annually to where I fish. totals $500 of direct costs - now lets take a look at the indirect costs involved. Insurrance annually $516, - Mooring fees $34.50 annually, Maintainance $150 annually,and Club Membership fees $76.50 annually. An approximate expendature of $1.277.00 subject to change each year. It dosn't take a Rocket scientist to see how much Im getting in 'Profit' as it were, a year.

Clearly Im a recreational fisherman, I don't often get a limit bag of fish either.

I know any one commercial fisherman makes more than ten tips a year, and his take of fish is four (plus) times mine.

Sorry MAF..Im all for the "Option4 team!". For we 'Recreational' Fishers of fish, there is no need for "Capping and Licensing". ....Murray D Maindonald

"As a New Zealander (Kiwi) firstly and secondly as a Maori, I will defy any political legislation that mandates the licensing of recreational fishing. At 47 years old, my wife four children ( now all grown up) and I have spent many hundreds of hours in pursuit of this wonderfully relaxing sport, fishing. ( mostly surf casting and rock as we don't own a boat).We can honestly say that what we have caught collectively you can count on one hand. But we consider the catching of a fish a bonus as the payback for us is each time reintroducing ourselves to nature and her wonderful elements.

There are very few pastimes that are affordable and easy to take up as fishing and this freedom I always envisaged I would introduce to my grandchildren as they come along. Recreational fishing is ours as a birth right and any political beauracrat who succeeds in bringing in licensing will need to undergo plastic surgery, change their names, have anonymous telephone numbers for the rest of their natural lives and check very carefully before attempting to cross at pedestrian crossings. Because I have no doubt that I and many other Kiwis will be looking out for them.

I totally agree that our fish resource should be managed carefully but invite these political beauracrats to address where the real problem is ie catch feather and tar those few ratbag commercial fishermen who give their trade a bad name !! A pair of binoculars off the Kapiti coast or Martins bay will soon identify the real culprits who rape and pillage our coast line as they drag and pull in and keep under sized Snapper.

I apoligise for my passionate feedback but this is just another example of political beauracracy ever limiting my freedoms and yet again picking on the "little guy" because we're easy. Don't roll over on this one and good luck with your rebuttle of this proposed legislation. I certainly fully support your submissions. "

Pehi Johnston

"I work 6 days a week & invariably on the 7th weather conditions are against me. I am at best a fisherman who would bring home to the family table no more than three meals a year.I have fished all of my life, protecting resources whether it be land, game, fish or fowl & simply said now that I have reached my 60th year do not need to be told how to sustain our precious resources.My favourite spot once was a rapid 30 min walk, now it is a 90min challenge. I do not feel that this effort requires to be more complicated than it is. "

Wish you every success in you fight against the so unfair system
Best wishes .....Terry Crowley
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Feedback Further to my personal submission
I admire the strength of your committment & wish you every success. It's a sad day when I cannot do as my father taught me, & also what I have taught my Children.

"I have only just become aware of the details of the three options being proposed for discusion as future management policies for our fisheries. I am appalled by the proposals and the apparent stealth by which the Ministry of Fisheries has been operating in its so called public consultation exercise. I know a number of active fishermen but none of them have been aware of the proposed changes. I suggest that the Ministry of Fisheries put some time and effort into public consultation to ensure that the fishing public is aware of what is being proposed.

I fully support the Option4 guidlines and the team of people working on these issues on behalf of the fishing public.

Lets keep recreational fishing free of more government bureaucracy. We dont need to purchase a licence to harvest what is our natural heratage. We know the regulations and we are capable of looking after our fishery far better than the commercial sector that has pillaged the inshore fishery for many years. If the Ministry of Fisheries wishes to focus their attention on any sector of the fishery, let them pay some attention to the commercial sector that continues to trawl up and down our coast within site of the beaches. If this or any future government wishes to loose massive numbers of votes, then just let them try raising taxes directly from recreational fishermen." .......Francis Orr

"I fully support Option4.
The rest appear to be the Goverments idea of Option$. " ......Miranda Harris

"It is unfortunate that the recreational and commercial fishing sectors have vastly different objectives. The commercial fisherman seeks to earn a living by harvesting the sea in a theoretically sustainable way and regardless of conservation values and a willingness to protect their own future livelihood, they will always be controlled by the desire to make money. The quest for the almighty dollar will ultimately preside over conservation values.

On the other hand, the recreational fisherman strives to attain pleasure from catching a feed of fish for the family or enjoy a day out on the water. There is no profit motive and by and large, the majority of anglers consider themselves lucky to catch enough for a feed let alone catch their bag limit. In my last 10 years of recreational fishing, I don t believe that I have ever achieved a bag limit although not through lack of effort. Having said that, it is still possible, with a reasonable degree of surety, to head out for a day and come back with some fresh fish for the table.

I am not totally averse to the idea of contributing to the cost of managing the fishing resource that I use and enjoy. However, if I were contributing to some form of management fund, I would want to know that it was equitable, that the monies paid were to be used constructively, and that there would be a derived benefit to myself and more importantly - future generations.

I do not agree with the idea of such monies ever being used to redeem quota from the commercial sector to enable an increase in a recreational quota.

I am not comfortable with having management of the recreational share left entirely in the hands of the government.

Compulsory funding options based on licensing would be inequitable as only honest people would pay up front. Furthermore, I do not wish to be accosted at the boat ramp by some "agent of the crown"  every time I head out fishing. Licensing in any way, shape or form is a bad idea, forget it.

It is my opinion that if any scheme is to be considered for the collection of funds towards the management of the recreational fishery it should be voluntary but with a positive slant that will encourage participation. In effect, a rewards based system where participants derive some benefit over non-participants. Perhaps some form of preferential voting rights when it comes to making future decisions on aspects of the fishery where public participation is appropriate.

In summary, Please, no compulsory licensing, levies, fees or taxes. The money used to administer such systems would far better be used for research, education or creating incentives for voluntary style management of the fisheries resource like catch and release take only what you need.

Above all, avoid introducing any new compliance regimes that will cost more to administer than they provide in derived benefits. "

Hudson Moody

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Feedback Brilliant work.

I had initially discounted option4 on the basis that I felt it had the potential to create conflict between the recrational and commercial sectors. I had drafted a submission which tended to support Option 2 from the Soundings document.

However, having read in full the submission prepared by the Option4 team, my views have changed and I now have no hesitation in fully supporting your submission.
A superlative effort worthy of continued support.

Hudson Moody
Wellington

"I am 46 years old and have been a keen amateur fisherman for at least 40 of those years.I fish for the relaxation, the company of friends and family, and because I enjoy eating fish. We would go sea fishing about once a fortnight, sometimes more often. We often take less than we are allowed. I manage my catch by following size restrictions and daily catch limits and by returning small fish or unwanted species. I would like to make the following points in my submission.

1) We are incredibly fortunate to live in a city as large as Auckland and to be able to go a short distance after work and catch a feed of fish. These rights must be preserved. Options 1-3 do not give an acceptable mechamism whereby this can be achieved. Option4 is the only option that is acceptable to me.

2) Fish stocks can be managed by appropriate quotas for the commercial operators and by size limits and daily catch limits for the amateur. These should be better policed. I have only been checked once in my life. Some non-quota species such as kingfish and kawhai urgently need to have quotas established.

3) Licensing of amateur fishermen is unacceptable. It would be expensive to administer and police, discriminatory...for those who fish one day a year versus those who fish every weekend. Would children who fish off the wharf have to be licensed? How...by age, size of fish targetted etc. Would there have to be an age limit above which you would need to be licensed?....12, 16?? This makes no sense. Would children be prosecuted if not licensed? Would the parents be prosecuted if the children were not licensed? Would there be exemptions for some sectors ( eg Maori)? Who is going to check for licenses? To whom would license fees be paid? How much of the fee would administration take? How much of the fee does the Government propose to steal for uses other than fisheries issues? Licenses are NOT acceptable.

4) Funding of amateur fisheries issues. Additional tax on fishing equipment is NOT acceptable. We already pay GST etc. The Recreational Fishing Council should be given a grant by the Government based on the estimated petrol roading tax spent by boat owners. I would be more than happy to estimate my annual petrol consumption to run my boat or have it monitored when I fill up the tank.Currently this money is stolen from the boating fraternity...roading tax should not come from running my boat on the ocean!

5) Commercial interests should be excluded from significant recreational fishing areas. I have fished the inner Waitemata for the last 20 years.The fishing in the last 3-4 years has improved significantly since commercial long lining and netting was restricted inside the Tiri Tiri to the Noises line over the summer spawning months. Previously snapper stocks were hammered over the October/November period off the East Coast Bays beaches. This would be the most heavily fished recreational sea fishing area of New Zealand and the good fishing we currently have shows the benefits of maintaining areas like this for the recreational sector.

Alan Cliffe

"It seems to me that the priority should be on the recreational fisher. Although I agree 100% with OPTION4, I would say that the greatest threat by not only this Govt and may I add any other Govt. is the licensing of recreational fishers. A reasonable daily bag limit is not a problem, nor are the planning right and even the priority over commercial fishers. The main push by officials and politicians will be to regulate by way of a license the recreational fishing of all peple in NZ. Its quite simple: if you regulate,ie: license then you raise another tax to pay for some hair brain scheme that the Govt. has on the planning table. The licensing of rec. fishers has absolutely nothing to do with fish per say, it has ecvery thing to do with taxes. I for one will not role over for what is essentially a birthright, not only for Maori but for every Tom Dick and Hine in this country. You may be wondering why I didnt do anything about this when I was in parliament? I didnt believe anybod!

You would be stupid enough to even think that the licensing of rec. fishers would be a good idea let alone put it into a consultation document. I always thought that hey, I can fish where and when I want within reason. I didnt think that there would be any reason for me to protect what is our birthright."

.....Hon Tau Henare. Former Minister of Maori Affairs.

"I had the good fortune to grow up in a time and country that allowed me as a small child to enjoy the shear pleasure of fishing. I learned the love of a tight line be it on trout, snapper or yellowtail. My large innnocent child's eyes lit bright with this. As I grew up this love stayed with me, I had the good fortune to gain a number of close friends whose passion for fishing far exceeded my own, but to a greater or lesser extent it was recreational fishing that now is a commonality in many of both my wife's and my own friendships.

When my son was born at North Shore Hospital only six years ago, I was able to lift him up to the window and show him the beauty of the Hauraki Gulf, and share the dream of the day that we would be able to fish out there together.

Now, that son and his younger sister love to spend their days with my wife and I enjoying the pleasure of fishing the Waitemata just as I did as a child.

In my job I get to travel to many parts of the world, I have seen families such as mine sitting fishing the moats around Osaka castle, I have watched families cast a line off Santa Monica Pier, and I have sat with great pleasure watching people in the Netherlands dangle those ungainly rods into the canals. But all the while I have cacooned myself n the smuggness that, we had it better. I have waxed lyriacl to Japanese visitors about ctaching anything from snapper to sharks, a dinghy's row off Takapuna beach.

I am one of the lucky ones, I have drunk from the cup of the Waitemata, and enjoyed its pleasure and bounty. But I would give all that back in an instant to see that my children's children can do the same. One of the greatest treasures of this country is our water. Our forefathers had the insight to protect areas of our land for all to enjoy,we should now do the same for the sea. Let us put the people first and commercialism second. Recreational fishers will always be responsible as a whole, for they are doing it for pleasure and their children rather than profit. "

Te Taangata, te Taangata, te Taangata. Kia Kaha .....Rick Haywood

"I want my children and grand children to enjoy fishing and diving in NZ,just as my fore fathers have for the last 200 years and some for more than a thousand years."
....Ian Martyn