It is no surprise that so many anglers have commented on the Fish & Game Ministerial Review issue. Most anglers have both a Fish & Game licence and a Taupo licence.
On a soggy Saturday in Turangi, the inmates have been grizzling again about the new restrictions at Lake O and persistently ask, when will F&G take over the Taupo Fishery management?
It is amazing that they still refer to the DOC Review of 2013 and ask what happened to the recommendations. They claim it is just common sense and have encouraged TRM to elaborate following previous blogs on this issue.
Introduction
The NZ F&G Council was established “to represent nationally the interests of anglers and provide coordination of the management, enhancement, and maintenance of sports fish and game”. – section 26B (1) of the Conservation Act 1987.” To carry out their functions they need to constantly engage with DOC (Department of Conservation manages the Taupo Fishery) across multiple meetings and for Conservation Law Reform.
The anglers’ argument is, they cannot carry out their “national responsibilities and functions” as long as the Taupo Fishery is managed by DOC.
In the national interest, this is a ridiculous situation. (In the Taupo region it is even more extreme with another separate licence for Lake Rotoaira.) It is time for a major change… Some have even suggested they should scrap all freshwater licenses – making it similar to saltwater fishing regulations?
One national licence was promoted in DOC’s own Taupo Fishery Review in 2013. Over ten years ago they advised the Taupo Fishery supported over 300 jobs and generated an annual economic contribution of up to $29 Million per annum. So this is a serious business… far beyond the usual blogs.
The Department of Conservation initiated this review process in 2013 with several broad factors in mind, the key trigger points being:
*Rethinking how the fishery is managed in the context of a renewed commitment from the Department to work with others to help New Zealand flourish socially, economically and environmentally (and for New Zealanders to benefit from that management);
*Concerns from anglers and the wider community about the health of the
fishery; and
*Declining participation rates and licence sales.
Relationships
In 2013 they suggested – to achieve the broad goal of maximising the value from the utilisation of the Fishery, they identified that the Department will need to adopt more fully what was described as the ‘philosophy of partnering’. This will require a commitment to empowering others to take a more active role in participating in management, such as setting management priorities.
The review process itself revealed a strong commitment to more effective and positive engagement, and partnerships, with the Department, and a desire to develop a stronger sense of ‘ownership’ of the fishery by others (with all the responsibility that entails). It became clear in the course of the review that it is only through a partnership approach that the value and associated benefits of the fishery to the region can be maximized
In particular, they believed that there are obvious opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the Department’s relationships with Fish and Game (given they are in the same ‘business’). Currently the relationship appears to be disjointed and ‘competitive’ rather than collaborative. There are also opportunities to develop stronger relationships with the tourism and wider business sector in the region (for mutual benefit), and with the Lake Rotoraira Trust.
Working Effectively with Anglers and Increasing Participation
- In relation to the existing licencing system:
a. Put in place an on-line system in close collaboration with Fish and Game;
b. Develop a national licence option;
(For those TRM anglers unable to go fishing over the long wet Anniversary weekend, an edited copy of the 2013 DOC review fhas been added below – but make a strong cup of tea first…)
F&G have to maintain a close working relationship with DOC Taupo and are involved with DOC stakeholder forums. i.e. They attend the TFAC (Taupo Fishery Advisory Committee) meetings and work closely on various matters such as pressure-sensitive fisheries, guides licence and ministerial replies and written parliamentary questions.
Therefore from Taupo anglers’ viewpoint, it is entirely logical and overdue that F&G should take over the Taupo Fishery.
Advocacy
NZ Fish & Game manages a public resource on behalf of the Crown and is constituted in the Conservation Act 1987. It is unique in NZ terms in that it is entirely self-funding receiving no money from Government even though it is a statutory body. It is widely recognised as the leading advocate for freshwater management and its activities have a significant wider public benefit than simply the protection of the species that it is responsible for. That is recognised by all political parties.
The NZ F&G Council is comprised of one appointee from each of the twelve regional councils. Its functions are to develop national policies, advocate for F & G priorities, advise the Minister of Conservation, oversee the electoral system and coordinate the national interests of the organisation including the distribution of licence fees income.
They acknowledge the deterioration of freshwater quality and quantity and the loss of wetlands over the last thirty years has been devastating. Public opinion has now swung behind protection and restoration. The consistent failure of Local Government to establish and enforce appropriate standards to first protect freshwater and wetlands, and then to recognise this failure and seek improvement, means the staff spent an inordinate amount of time in the field and the Court.
Ministerial Review
The review was first released in April 2021. It was designed to improve the Governance and administration of F&G and to make several contentious proposals.
The key principle in the debate is retaining the “user pays user says” situation arising from the funding independence of of F&G.
F&G has embarked on significant administrative changes and a public consultation document is to be issued…
It is easy to forget that the Councillors in F&G are unpaid elected volunteers who contribute many long hazardous hours in environmental protection.
Compared to the Taupo Fishery $$$ above, for the year ending 31 August 2022, their total revenue was $3.6 Million, expenses were $3 Million, with a net surplus of just over $600,000. Covid-19 had a detrimental financial impact on the Council and revenue was at a reduced level from the 2019-20 pre-covid year. NZ F&G Council is a public authority and is exempt from paying income tax.
Following are the main issues from DOC’s 2013 Survey: (Anglers are still concerned how many of these recommendations have been ignored?)
Executive Summary:
- The town of Tūrangi markets itself as the ‘Trout Fishing Capital of the World’, Taupō’s waterfront is home to a large trout sculpture to welcome visitors to the town, and the region is home to the Tongariro National Trout Centre near Tūrangi.
The study by APR Consultants, commissioned as part of this review process, confirmed the importance of the Fishery to the economic and social well-being of the region, with an annual economic contribution of up to $29m per annum and close to 300 jobs dependent on it.
It became clear in the course of the review process that effective management of the Fishery needs to focus more specifically on the important contribution to the Taupō Region (and beyond) that the Taupō Fishery currently makes, and could make in the future. In essence, an overarching management goal should be focused on maximizing the full value (in the broadest – economic, social, cultural and environmental – sense of the word) that the Fishery can deliver. This goal must then be used by the Department to establish objectives and targets, set budgets, and drive progress reporting.
The Department of Conservation initiated this review process with several broad factors in mind, with the key trigger points being:
*Rethinking how the fishery is managed in the context of a renewed commitment from the Department to work with others to help New Zealand flourish socially, economically and environmentally (and for New Zealanders to benefit from that management);
*Concerns from anglers and the wider community about the health of the
fishery; and
*Declining participation rates and licence sales.
Through the review process, we found a fishery that is fundamentally in good shape. But it is also a fishery where there are huge opportunities that could be realised through a fresh management approach. To realise these opportunities, and maximise the value of the fishery, there must be a shift from a strong focus on the biological aspect of the fishery to a broader consideration on managing all the different components of the fishery. In the Report, unsurprisingly, no single solution is identified. Rather a range of opportunities have been highlighted that focus on:
*Establishing an overarching goal for the fishery;
*Governance and management structures and processes;
*Ensuring there is clear direction focused on maximising the full value of the
Fishery;
*Management of the resource (the trout);
*Engagement with anglers and licence-holders (particularly with a view to increasing participation); and
*Improving relationships more generally (adopting a ‘philosophy of partnering’)
Overarching goal for the fishery
During the course of the review it became evident that, while a range of objectives
for managing the Fishery exist, there is no obvious overarching goal. The lack of an overarching management goal has led the Department to focus on the achievement
of single objectives, potentially costing it the ability to maximise the value the Fishery could otherwise deliver to partners, stakeholders and the wider community.
The goal needs to recognise the multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary nature of fishery management and focus on three key elements – managing and enhancing the sports fish resource, working effectively with anglers and increasing participation in fishing, and developing strong partnerships with others to optimise the environmental, social and economic benefits for the Taupō region and beyond.
Governance and Management structures and processes
In looking at the existing governance and management structures and processes for the Taupō Fishery, the primary objective was to identify how they are currently working and how they might best enable effective and well-aligned input from the key players. While the Taupō Fishery forms part of an integrated framework for managing sports fish across the country, it is also quite distinct and has a number of features that are unique to this particular fishery.
The key ‘players’ in the Taupō Fishery are:
*The Minister of Conservation who approves the management plan that is developed for the purpose of managing the Taupō fishery and, with the concurrence of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, fixes forms and classes of fishing license and fees payable for licences;
*The Director-General of Conservation has the powers of a fish and game council in relation to the Taupō Fishery (with several modifications);
*Ngāti Tūwharetoa has a joint decision-making role in the Taupō Fishery, and a broader partnership role with the Crown. The dual roles are derived from the ownership of the lakebed —including much of the surrounding land— and the various agreements with the Crown contained in the Māori Land Amendment and Māori Land Claims Adjustment Act 1926 and the 2007 Deed of Settlement.
*Anglers have a distinct role in the management of the Taupō Fishery, through the establishment of the Taupō Fishery Advisory Committee and, because the Director-General is required to manage the sports fish in their recreational interest;
What they found is that there are some tensions and uncertainties about how the agreements reached between the Crown and Ngāti Tūwharetoa and the provisions of the Conservation Act fit together; there is little effective engagement between Ngāti Tūwharetoa and anglers (and hence no processes to align interests); and that anglers are frustrated with what they see as their negligible influence on management.
They identified that angler voices are not being heard in the management of the fishery, and nor are they well integrated in either the statutory decision-making processes or the decision-making at an operational level.
They see the clear potential to re-examine the options to better recognise the Crown/Ngāti Tūwharetoa relationship at a governance level, and to provide a more effective
mechanism at the management level for all key players to work together to better influence decision-making. We believe the respective governance and management structures need to be addressed as a matter of priority so that there are clear processes for understanding and aligning respective interests and aspirations. This is fundamental to all parties achieving the maximum value from utilising the Fishery.
——————
Anglers and licence holders
In respect of the relationship with anglers, we identified the need to greatly improve the interface they have with the Department.
Improved licencing options, better communication and more effective marketing of fishing opportunities in the region were all identified as aspects needing improvement. We confirmed that participation rates (like in many places) have steadily declined from a peak in the 1980s, and most
significantly there has been a 20% drop in licence sales over the past five years. Given
the major economic and social contribution to the region from the Fishery, and given
that it is licence fees that pay for fisheries management, this is a significant issue that
needs considerable focus and attention.
No single cause was identified, but a range of factors was highlighted. This included concerns about the health of the Fishery (people do want to know they will catch fish), broad trends that highlight declining participation in outdoor recreation generally, the ongoing economic downturn, and perceptions that fishing is a difficult activity in which to participate. While a number of these factors are not easy to address, the general approach for the Department should be to make fishing as easy as possible – ‘easy to think of, easy to purchase, and easy to do’. Several barriers to participation can be removed (or at least reduced), and there should be an increased effort to promote and market the fishing experience.
Relationships
In order to achieve the broad goal of maximising the value from the utilisation of the Fishery, they identified that the Department will need to adopt more fully what was described to us as the ‘philosophy of partnering’. This will require a commitment to empowering others to take a more active role in participating in management, such as setting management priorities.
The review process itself revealed a strong commitment to more effective and positive engagement, and partnerships, with the Department, and a desire to develop a stronger sense of ‘ownership’ of the fishery by others (with all the responsibility that entails). It became clear in the course of the review that it is only through a partnership approach that the value and associated benefits of the fishery to the region can be maximized
In particular they believed that there are obvious opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the Department’s relationships with Fish and Game (given they are in the same ‘business’). Currently the relationship appears to be disjointed and ‘competitive’ rather than collaborative. There are also opportunities to develop stronger relationships with the tourism and wider business sector in the region (for mutual benefit), and with the Lake Rotoraira Trust.
Information and Tools to Assist Managing, Maintaining, Enhancing the Sports Fish Resource
Working Effectively with Anglers and Increasing Participation
- In relation to the existing licencing system:
a. Put in place an on-line system in close collaboration with Fish and Game;
b. Develop a national licence option;
c. Offer a fuller range of licence options, with the priority being a family licence, a weekend licence, and a 12 month licence;
d. Consider ways to support charter boat operators in the development of a boat licence concept; and
e. More actively promote the fact that licence fees pay for fishery management.
- In relation to the destination product:
a. Define and brand the full extent of the Taupō Sports Fishery;
b. Develop and implement a marketing and communications plan to
raise the profile of the fishery nationally and internationally; and
c. Initiate the development of a collective vision and a strategic plan for the Tongariro River to address the competing demands on the river
and surrounding land.
- In relation to improving access to the fishery:
a. Expand opportunities to learn to fish for all people, including expanding the kids ‘fish-out’ days to a daily occurrence for all visitors (not just children);
b. Support the establishment of learn to fish classes by clubs and/or
commercial operators; and
c. Work with others to develop a policy-driven approach to enabling
more spin fishing opportunities in the Fishery.
- In relation to communication:
a. Develop a new communications strategy, including reconsidering the
role of the Target Taupō publication;
b. Adopt regular, timely and less formal communication, including
better use of social media and more active engagement with and
support for existing sites;
c. Review the Department’s website and explore the benefits of a
standalone Taupō Fishery website; and
d. Develop clear financial reporting for licence-holders.
Developing Strong Relationships
- Promote stronger alignment with Fish and Game, including, where appropriate, shared strategy, research and infrastructure, shared processes, and more consistent regulations
- Work collaboratively with Destination Great Lake Taupō and the wider tourism and commercial sector to explore more innovative ways of working together to promote and market the Taupō Fishery and the wider region
- Support the Lake Rotoaira Trust in developing its vision for Lake Rotoaira.
What they also heard was that neither TFAC members nor the Department view the advisory mechanism as working effectively at present. TFAC does not operate in the same way as fish and game councils (who have a clear role and set the management priorities in their respective regions on behalf of licence-holders), mainly because its functions are purely advisory. Comments on its functions included ‘it is advised, not advisory’, and ‘it doesn’t seem to have any teeth’.
They also heard comments that TFAC’s membership (prescribed by regulation) does not represent anglers generally (with a strong emphasis given to local angling and boating clubs as opposed to visitors or independent anglers); and that Ngāti Tūwharetoa, despite having a dedicated place on TFAC, had not attended meetings for over a decade. This is, broadly, because they have not seen
value in the position.
Finally, but importantly, there do not appear to be any structured links between
TFAC and the governance and statutory decision-making processes.
They heard concern from anglers that they did not have a good picture of where their licence fees were being spent, and concern that the Department’s processes for allocating administrative costs (primarily the capital charge on the Crown’s assets, depreciation, rent, computers and the like) were not transparent. Comments were made that the administrative costs appeared high.
Working with Anglers and Increasing Participation
There were clear messages in the review process around the need for the Department to focus more on understanding the needs of anglers (past, present, and potential), to invest more effort into building support for the Fishery, and to lift participation rates in fishing.
At this time, and because the Fishery is currently managed on a cost-recovery basis, increasing participation rates of anglers is essential to achieving the overarching management goal for the Fishery.
Participant growth in the Fishery is also important to the local economy.
The messages are consistent with the current management focus on maximizing recreational opportunities for anglers, and the broader strategic focus of the Department to see more people actively engaging in recreation.
The focus of the discussions was that the Department should be actively removing existing barriers (perceived or otherwise) to participation, and be doing more to actively engage with the community and promote the Fishery.
A major theme was the importance of looking at more innovative options for introducing children to fishing.
Levels of Participation
Total Taupō fishing licence sales decreased from 54,086 to 41,363 (-23.5%), between the 2007/08 and 2011/12 seasons. Behind this movement was a decrease in sales in excess of 20% for every type of licence over the five year period.
Adult Season Licence sales declined the most of all licence types, with an average annual growth rate of negative 8%. This was a decrease from 12,065 licences sold in 2007/08 to 8,650 in the 2011/12 season.
These movements continue a general downward trend in Taupō fishing licence sales over the past 24 years, since sales peaked at over 82,000 in the 1987/88 season. etc…….
Deryck Shaw’s economic impact assessment of the Taupō Fishery’s impact in the year ended June 1983 estimated the total output (ie, total turnover) to be $10.8 million and 244 FTEs. Between 1983 and 2012 annual CPI inflation has averaged approximately 4.2% p.a. Taking into account GST increases, an inflation adjusted impact would be at least $30 million.
Visitor Activity
Overall, visitor arrival statistics for Taupō have declined slightly, falling 5.4% between 2000 and 2010. This was in contrast to New Zealand where guest arrivals grew by
22.6% during the same period.
Total Taupō fishing licence sales decreased from 54,086 to 41,363 (ie, -23.5%), between the 2007/08 and 2011/12 seasons continuing a general downward trend in
Taupō trout fishing licence sales over the past 24 years, since sales peaked at over 82,000 in the 1987/88 season.
The results of the Department’s survey showed that 66% of respondents’ primary reason for visiting Taupō was for fishing (note that the majority of respondents (86.9%) were Adult Whole Season licence holders and as such, this may be expected).
A total of 83% of the survey respondents were aged over 40 years. The two largest groups surveyed were those aged between 50 and 59 (26%) and those aged between 60 and 69 years (28%). A total of 88% of respondents were male, while 12% were female. The findings showed that visitors undertook many activities while in Taupō, not only fishing.
These included mountain biking and other recreational activities.
Communication
What was heard in relation to communication was that there are significant opportunities to enhance the relationship between the Department and anglers primarily.
The survey results indicated low levels of understanding of many aspects of the Fishery, and low levels of engagement by anglers with the management of the Fishery. We fully expect that these two factors are related. The survey also indicated that the Target Taupō magazine is highly valued by trout fishers, and was in fact their preferred method for gaining information in the future (so they scrapped it?) , although email was identified as the most preferred channel.
However, in the course of the review we also received considerable comment that the Target Taupō magazine was expensive to produce and consumed a significant part of the overall communications budget, but that it catered only to the ‘converted’, that it did little to encourage new people to fish, and that it had ‘outlived its usefulness’. A strong message was that the Department needed to place its focus on more regular, more timely, and less formal means of communicating.
They heard that the Department’s communication tends to be reactive (for example responding to complaints or issues) rather than proactive. The Department’s ‘YouTube’ video – ‘Lake O on the Fly’ was positively referred to several times, though comment was made about the lack of follow-up to that video. Comment was also made about the very active websites and blogs run by others – a number of them Sporting Life, Tongariro River Motel and Fish’n’Hunt receive many thousands of visitors per month, and these were seen as providing significant opportunities for the Department to engage more proactively with these sites and users.
……………………….
The Tongariro River:
The importance of ‘The River’ to the Taupō Fishery and to fly fishing enthusiasts came through very strongly through the engagement process. It has an international reputation for fly fishing in particular, and plays an important role in the spawning process for trout.
Working with Anglers and Increasing Participation – Opportunities
1.
In relation to the licencing system:
a.
Put in place an on-line system in close collaboration with Fish and Game;
b.
Develop a national licence option;
etc…..
So what happened?
