Anglers anticipating the start of the new freshwater fishing season are being reminded not to forget their licence.
The new season starts throughout the country on October 1 and runs until September 30, 2018. Licences are already on sale. Fish & Game Officer Anthony van Dorp says rangers check morethan 10,000 anglers and hunters to ensure they have their licences.
"It's very pleasing that in the large central North Island Eastern Region for example, ranging operations in the past year have found more than 98 per cent of people doing the right thing by having a licence. This high compliance rate is similar to previous years." Not having a licence can be costly.
"Occasionally someone fails to update their licence - they face fines and loss of their expensive fishing gear. With the maximum penalty set at $5000, it makes much more sense to just buy a licence and not have to worry about getting caught," he adds.
Fish & Game rangers will patrol when the season opens on Sunday October 1 to make sure everyone is playing by the rules.
