Sports Fish and Game Management Plan?
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SPORTS FISH AND G AME MANAGEMENT PLAN Eastern Fish and Game Council CONTENTS FOREWORD FROM THE CHAIRMAN ........................................................................................................ 1 PART ONE INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 4 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 5 B. What is a Sports Fish and Game Management Plan? .......................................................................... 6 C. Who is the Plan for? .................................................................................................................................. 7 D. Structure of the Plan ................................................................................................................................. 7 E. Monitoring Performance and Reporting ................................................................................................ 8 F. Plan Review ................................................................................................................................................ 8 G. Notification ................................................................................................................................................ 8 PART TWO MISSION STATEMENT ............................................................................................................ 9 Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................................. 10 PART THREE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................. 11 1. Species ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 2. Habitat ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 3. Angler and Hunter Participation ........................................................................................................... 42 4. Public Awareness ..................................................................................................................................... 50 5. Compliance ............................................................................................................................................... 56 6 Licensing ................................................................................................................................................... 60 7. Council ...................................................................................................................................................... 63 8. Planning and Reporting .......................................................................................................................... 66 9. Administration ......................................................................................................................................... 69 2 PART FOUR RESOURCE DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................ 73 1 The Region ............................................................................................................................................... 75 2. Species ....................................................................................................................................................... 77 3. Habitats ..................................................................................................................................................... 80 4. Anglers and Hunters ............................................................................................................................... 95 5. Eastern Fish and Game Council ........................................................................................................... 96 PART FIVE INTERPRETATION AND RELEVANT LEGISLATION.............................................. 97 1. Interpretation ........................................................................................................................................... 98 2. Relevant Legislation ................................................................................................................................ 99 3. Notifying The Plan ................................................................................................................................ 102 Appendix 1 Significant Sports Fish and Game Bird Habitats in the Eastern Fish and Game Region .................................................................................................................................................................. 103 Appendix 2 Land Managed by Eastern Fish and Game Council ............................................................... 105 Appendix 3 Iwi Rohe (Tribal Areas) Overlapping the Eastern Fish and Game Region ........................ 107 Appendix 4 Schedule of Sports Fish and Game Bird Species .................................................................... 111 Appendix 5 Extract From the Conservation Act 1987 ................................................................................ 113 3 PART ONE INTRODUCTION Figure 1 – The Eastern Fish and Game Region 4 A. INTRODUCTION The Eastern Fish and Game Region is one of twelve Fish and Game regions in New Zealand. In 1990 the management of New Zealand’s sports fish and game bird resource was restructured by an amendment to the Conservation Act 1987. The former Acclimatisation Societies were replaced by twelve regional Fish and Game Councils and one national Fish and Game Council. Each of these Councils became Crown Entities and then Public Entities with the passing of the Crown Entities Act 2004. They have specific functions, responsibilities and powers to manage sports fish and game birds, as specified in Sections 26Q, 26R, and 26S of the Act1. ‘Fish & Game New Zealand’ is the operating name of the New Zealand Fish and Game Council together with the twelve regional Fish and Game Councils established to manage, maintain, and enhance the sports fish and game resource in the recreational interests of anglers and hunters. Fish and Game Councils are statutory managers of the sports fish and game bird resource and their sustainable recreational use by anglers and hunters New Zealand wide. The only exceptions to this are the sports fishery in the Lake Taupo catchment, and the game bird resource in the Chatham Islands, which are managed by the Department of Conservation. The sports fish and game bird resource is the property of the Crown. Fish and Game Councils are empowered to administer the resource on the Crown’s behalf, and to levy licence fees from anglers and hunters to cover the costs of doing so. Fish and Game Councils receive no government funding to undertake their statutory purposes and activities are financed mainly through the sale of sports fish and game bird licences. Anglers and hunters purchase licences to fish or hunt and in return have input to the sports fish and game bird management in their region. Councillors are anglers and or hunters elected through a democratic process by whole season licence holders. The main purpose of Fish and Game Councils is to: “Manage, maintain and enhance the sports fish and game resource in the recreational interests of anglers and hunters.” 2 In fulfilling this purpose, the primary functions of Fish and Game Councils are to: Assess and monitor sports fish and game bird populations, habitats and harvests. Assess and monitor angler and hunter satisfaction. Maintain and improve the sports fish and game bird resource. Provide information and promote angling and hunting. Represent the interests of anglers and hunters in the statutory planning process. 3 The Eastern Fish and Game Region (see Figure 14) extends from Waihi Beach around the east coast to a few kilometres north of the Mohaka River mouth. It then follows the southern side of the Waiau River catchment, and south along the Kaimanawa ranges to Mount Ruapehu. From 1 Because of their relevance to this Sports Fish and Game Management Plan Sections 26Q, 26R, and 26S of the Conservation Act 1987 are reproduced in full in Appendix 5, supra at 113. 2 Conservation Act 1987, s 26Q(1). 3 Ibid, s 26(Q). 4 Supra at 4. 5 Mount Ruapehu, the region boundary runs north to Lake Maraetai, along the Mamaku Plateau and the Kaimai range to Waihi Beach. The elected Council cannot consist of more than twelve members. Only those who hold a current adult whole season licence to fish for sports fish or hunt for game birds are eligible to become members of the Council through the election process. Elections are held every three years, at which time all seats on the Council are up for re-election. The election process is democratic and prescribed in the Fish and Game Council Election Regulations 1990. The Eastern Fish and Game Council represents the interests of more than 19,000 anglers and 4,300 hunters5 who purchase sports fish or game bird licences in the Eastern Fish and Game Region. B. WHAT IS A SPORTS FISH AND GAME MANAGEMENT PLAN? It is intended that the goals, objectives, policies and methods set out in this plan will allow Eastern Fish