Family fishing licences are set for an overhaul to fix outdated rules that have seen many women unable to fish alone.
Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has just announced the changes ahead of Fish and Game national fishing licences going on sale tomorrow.
An historic anomaly in the licensing system means the second adult on the licence, often a woman, currently cannot fish without being with the primary holder, often her husband, nor stand or vote in elections.
But from tomorrow the glitches, described by Meager as an oversight, will be fixed to ensure both adults have equal fishing rights.
Fish & Game’s hoping the change will see more women take up the classic Kiwi past time. (Source: 1News)
The rules were rolled out 25 years ago when Fish & Game established Family Fishing Licences to encourage more Kiwi’s to enjoy the classic pastime.
“This is a common-sense change to modernise an outdated aspect of the system and bring family licences into 2025. It’s my hope this will remove accessibility barriers and make it easier for more women and young families to enjoy angling,” Meager told 1News.
“It’s my responsibility to make it as easy as possible for Kiwis to hunt and fish. These changes will ensure more people can experience angling, while encouraging the next generation to get involved.”
The decision follows University of Otago research commissioned by Fish & Game, which identified barriers to women’s participation in freshwater fishing, alongside feedback from groups like Women on the Fly NZ.
“I am delighted about the changes to the Family Fishing Licence, which will encourage more women to get out on our rivers and give angling a go,” Fish & Game patron Dame Lynda Topp said.
“While 13% of individual licence holders are women, this rises to around 30% when considering women listed as the secondary adult on a family licence. If women angled at the same rate as men, we could see up to 60,000 more enjoying our rivers and lakes,” Fish & Game acting chief executive Richie Cosgrove says.
The 2025/26 angling season would open in October, with fishing licences available for purchase from tomorrow.
The changes came alongside confirmation there would be no price increases to Fish & Game angling licences, for the first time in five seasons.
