Local anglers are being locked out of some top fishing spots because guides pay for exclusive rights, a local fisherman says.
Central Hawke's Bay resident Brian Lowe said fishing guides paid landowners for exclusive access in Hawke's Bay, especially on the Mohaka River.
A recent New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers (NZFFA)
release identified the Rangitikei and the Mohaka rivers as particular trouble spots.
"We're not naming names yet but it's happening a lot," Mr Lowe, who was on the NZFFA executive, said. He said he knew fishers who had been told they had to pay to access a river.
"We buy a licence for the resource, we pay to put fish in and protect the resource and then are told to pay to access it."
While it was illegal to charge for fishing rights, landowners could charge for access. Charges varied from $10 to $150, and Mr Lowe estimated some guides could be spending $25,000 a year for exclusive rights.
Fish and Game and the Department of Conservation needed to negotiate for access with landowners because it fitted into both organisations' roles, he said.
The problem started about 20 years ago but had gotten worse in the last 10 years.
Wealthy foreigners and celebrities paid thousands of dollars for helicopter fishing expeditions on New Zealand's top trout rivers, but there are fears more access would be lost to ordinary local fly fishers. Federation president Jim Hale said "exclusive capture" was practised by people for their own financial profiteering.
"We will fight this scourge wherever we find it, with whoever is involved, with all of the determination and resources at our disposal," Mr Hale said.
Hawke's Bay Fish and Game regional manager Peter McIntosh said he knew of some private properties where there was walking access but not vehicle access, but had not heard of landowners charging large amounts for access.
"If they are losing access to somewhere they used to be able to go then that's a problem," he said.
Many laws controlling hunting and fishing needed reviewing to make sure rules applied to modern situations, Mr McIntosh said. Additional reporting NZPA
