Fishing for all

The Boating Industries Association has put a firm oar in the water after surveying its 300 members on the Ministry of Fisheries' Soundings discussion document on recreational fishing.

Executive director Peter Busfield has told the ministry his members overwhelmingly voted proposals 1, 2 and 3 as inappropriate, but supported Option 4, the fishing enthusiasts' submission.

The BIA stance is that New Zealanders must continue to have the right to saltwater fishing as a recreational pursuit without the need for a permit, licence or other bureaucratic requirement.

It is estimated that 1.5 million New Zealanders are recreational fishers.