Overseas anglers to have restricted access to ‘prized’ Southland fishery

Overseas anglers will have their access to a prized Southland fishery restricted this summer as Fish & Game addresses overcrowding issues on the river.

Visitors will only be able to fish on the upper Oreti River, upstream from the Mossburn Bridge, for five days during the fishing season, and will have to apply for a Designated Waters Licence as well as a freshwater fishing licence, Southland Fish & Game manager Zane Moss said.

“The upper Oreti is one of New Zealand’s internationally-acclaimed fisheries, and it’s high on the bucket list of anglers,’’ he said.

“It has big trout, easy access, clear water and a backwater experience, but that has put pressure on the fishery and it’s leading to over-crowding, so the fishing experience isn’t as good as it could be. They can still fish it, but only for five days of the season.’’

Research showed local anglers were fishing on the river less than they used to because of the number of anglers on the river, he said.

“Some non-resident anglers were fishing for 30 days a season on the river. What we’re trying to do is spread out that angling pressure to other fisheries because there are plenty of good places to fish in Southland.’’

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when the borders were closed, the number of locals fishing on the river increased by 400%, Fish & Game data showed.

There would be no restrictions for New Zealand residents with a fishing licence, he said.

Fish & Game staff would look at designating other Southland rivers so that overseas anglers would need a Designated Waters Licence, he said.

The Worsley and Clinton Rivers, tributaries of Lake Te Anau, would continue to operate under a fortnightly ballot.

”We looked at making them designated waters but the way they are managed now is working really well and we’ve had nothing but positive feedback.’’

Fish & Game NZ chief executive Corina Jordan said the new Designated Waters Licence would see Kiwi anglers get a fairer share on some of the waterways that Fish & Game’s research had shown were subject to too much pressure – around 2% of the country’s rivers.

”Over the past 10 years, Fish & Game has received increasing complaints from resident and non-resident anglers regarding overcrowding in a small number of fisheries that will now be managed through the Designated Waters Licence,’’ she said.

“Our research and monitoring show that a small percentage of non-resident anglers will intensely fish a local area, not only putting pressure on the fishery but also displacing other anglers. We’ve implemented this new fisheries management tool to help address that imbalance.”

In some fisheries, angler use has gone from a roughly 50:50 resident-to-non-resident split (in the early 2000s) to an 80:20 split favouring non-resident anglers.

Jordan said that with a majority of non-resident anglers fishing backcountry fisheries for four or fewer days, most anglers would not be impacted by the change.

“We really appreciate and value overseas anglers, the contribution they make to the economy, as well as our organisation through purchasing licences, which helps us protect waterways.’’