Anglers and duck shooters will have to pay more for their sport next season.
Most fishing and game licence fees will rise next season, the whole season adult fishing licence from $96 to $105 and the adult game whole season licence from $78 to $80.
The Central South Island and Otago Fish and Game Council have approved the new fees recommended to all 13 councils by the New Zealand council, blaming increasing resource management costs for the rises.
Yesterday, Central South Island chief executive Jay Graybill said a portion of the increases was due to rises in basic costs, such as fuel and electricity.
"But the biggest effect is legal and resource management costs," he said.
Anglers and shooters were paying to protect water and wetland habitats at resource consent hearings, such as the Meridian Energy north bank proposal and Hunter Downs irrigation scheme on the Waitaki River, the Central Plains irrigation plan in Canterbury and some major developments in Nelson-Marlborough, he said.
The Waitaki River projects have, so far, cost Mr Graybill's council $150,000, excluding staff time.
• Licence fees up
The new fees (last season's fees in parenthesis). -
Fishing
Adults: Whole season $105 ($96), family $137 ($125), winter $63 ($58), 24 hour $21 ($19).
Junior: Whole season $21 ($19), winter $13 ($11.50), 24 hour $4 ($4).
Game
Adults: Whole season $80 ($78), 24 hour $18 ($18).
Junior: Whole season $18 ($18), 24 hour $6 ($5.50).
Child: $2 ($2).
*$2 from each game licence goes to habitat improvement.
