Popularity of fishing cited

Otago men were keen anglers and the fact that one in every eight held a fishing licence showed the value placed on recreational fishing in the region, the Nevis River hearing was told yesterday.

Fishing licence sales in Otago were among the highest in the country and reflected the high quality of angling in the area, fisheries scientist Martin Unwin, of Christchurch, said.

Mr Unwin said data collected nationwide in surveys of fishing licence holders during the past 30 years provided the basis for his comments.

"In a 2008 survey of licence holders in the Otago region, the Nevis River was the highest-ranked river for its importance to anglers and for the expectation of catching a large fish," he said.

The number of Otago anglers was nearly three times the national average.

Overseas visitors bought 35% of the fishing licences sold in Otago.

That figure was higher than in any other region and consistent with the importance of Queenstown and its surrounds as a tourist destination.

Anglers who fished the Nevis were mostly from Otago and Southland.

The estimated annual angler use of the river increased markedly from 1994 to 2008, he said.

It went up from 110 angler days in 1994-95 to 880 in 2007-08.

An angler day is defined as one angler fishing on one day, irrespective of the hours spent fishing.

Three species of rare plants would be at risk if the Nevis River was dammed, ecologist Alan Mark told the tribunal.

Three rare plants, acaena buchananii, myosurus minimus and an unnamed species of galium, were all growing on the Nevis Valley floor, he said.

The acaena was listed as being in gradual decline while the myosurus was nationally endangered.

All three were only growing within the "footprint" of the land likely to be flooded if the river was dammed.

"Many features of the Nevis catchment are nationally and, indeed, internationally unique, to the extent that its values justify recognition with a formal water conservation order," Prof Mark said.

"Some of the many important landscape features would be seriously compromised by major development of the catchment's hydro-electric potential."

The dryland outwash terraces were probably of Pleistocene origin and were now of very limited occurrence in New Zealand.

The native galaxias fish found in the river were also of great importance, he said.

Day 5

Tribunal: Richard Fowler (chairman), Carolyn Burns and Rauru Kirikiri.

Application: To amend existing water conservation order to prevent damming or diversion of Nevis River.

Players: New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game Councils want the changes, Pioneer Generation and TrustPower are among those in opposition.

Yesterday: Evidence was heard from John Douglas, Brian Patrick, fisheries scientist Martin Unwin, Prof Alan Mark, Janet Ledingham and Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand executive member David Barnes.

Quote of the day: "It's a time warp in there." Janet Ledingham, of Dunedin, talking about the unique characteristics of the Nevis valley and river.