FISHING LICENSES.

Press, Volume XIIX, Issue 14553, 2 January 1913, Page 10

FISHING LICENSES.

ARE THE CHARGES TOO HIGH?

(SPECIAL TO " THE PRESS.")

AUCKLAND, January 1

There has been somo controversy in the south on tho license fees charged for fishing in New Zealand streams, one fisherman raising the Question of the propriety of making preserves of the waterways when they were really public property. Tho writer suggested tho likelihood, should a Labour Government get into power, of the rivers being declared open to all for tho purpose of food supplies, and suggested a modification of the license fee charged by the society. Enquiries based on this contention elicited some interesting information this morning from the President of the Auckland Society (Colonel W. H. Hazard). A fishing license in New Zealand costs £1 per season, so that it can hardly be claimed that the rivers in this Dominion are converted into preserves. Neither is fishing in New Zealand a rich man's sport, for tho majority of the licenses issued aro to working men. Some license fee is necessary if the work of stocking the rivors is to be carried on. At present the Auckland Society's revenue works out at about £1100 per year, every penny of which is spent in re-stocking. If there was no re-stocking the rivers would bo cleaned out in a few seasons.

Questioned as to the waste \fhich is alleged to frequently occur, the President of the Society declared that it was very rarely indeed, in his experience, that waste of fish occurred. Fishermen, no doubt, occasionally caught cood hauls, but it was known that there wero fish to give away. Rotorua, of course, was in a different position to the other districts of the Dominion, the lakes in the thermal regions being under Government control. They were heavily stocked, and thinning out for food purposes would do good. The Government had attempted to do something in the curing biisiness at Rotorua, but the venture had not, so far, been a success. In none of the rivers, however, could netting or indiscriminate fislii'.ia; be allowed, and even now tho rivers'had to be continually re-stocked. If a pound fishing license was not taken cut till the second half of the season, it could be purchased for 12s Gd. while if only a day's sport was wanted, a halfcrown license could be taken out. When it is remembered that at Home £300 is commonly paid for a fishing license, and that in some eases the fee actually amounts to £1000, it. will be seen that after all. New Zealand's fishing fee is but a nominal one. In fact, most of tho En'ilish anglers who come to NewZealand for the fishing season find that they are able to cover the whole exnense of their trip at less than the taking out of a license at Home would CO£t.