Farmer will stand down from council

When Dan Lyders first became a representative of the Otago Acclimatisation Society in the 1980s, its meetings to discuss hunting and fishing issues packed out public halls.

These days, the society's more recent incarnation, the Otago Fish and Game Council, is lucky if it gets one member of the public, other than the media, attending any of its meetings.

Getting back members of the public, who are becoming involved in hunting and fishing in greater numbers each year, was a challenge the council now faced, Mr Lyders (72), a Berwick farmer, said.

He hoped it could start with younger people joining the council, and he was making way by not standing in the November council elections for the first time in about 38 years.

"I've felt it was time for fresh blood. I've gone a bit stale and am not pulling my weight."

Fellow longtime council member, Dr Donald Scott (82) was also standing down at this election.

"I'm too . . . old," he said, when asked why.

Dr Scott had been involved with the acclimatisation society since the 1960s, combining the work with his research as a freshwater biologist.

"My interests overlapped with fish and game in various ways."

While leaving behind fish and game, he planned to continue his work on river pollution and the effect of dairying on water quality, he said.

Mr Lyder said the council needed a good range of skills - financial ability was just as important as fishing or environmental knowledge.

"Then there are people like me who live on the land in close proximity to streams."

He had considered retiring a few years ago, but stayed to ensure the council had adequate representation from the farming community.

However, other farmers, such as Adrian McIntyre from South Otago, had come on board.

"The farming area is represented on it quite well."

He would miss the interaction with council staff and other council members.

"It's a bit sad, really."

Mr Lyders was first elected to the acclimatisation society in 1984, becoming vice-president in 1988 and then president in 1989.

When conservation organisations were reorganised in the early 1990s, he chaired the transition committee as the society became the fish and game council.

He also chaired the first Otago council.

"I arrived a little late [for the first meeting] and was locked out. I had to go to a phone booth to ring to let me in. It was an embarrassing start, really."

One of the most significant changes in his time had been the decline in support from the hunting and fishing fraternity, he said.

"Our annual meetings used to be packed. Everyone would have an idea about our work. It is very sad they do not come to meetings, even though we stagger them around the region so people have the opportunity to come."

He believed the problem was the fraternity no longer identified with the organisation or "believed it belonged to them".

However, it did, he said.

"The Otago region is run by the Otago region. While the national body co-ordinates and advocates, the region still does the work and sets its own programmes."

A highlight was his and fellow council member Brian Turner's quest to open up Lake Hawea to bait fishing, he said.

Both were against elitism in fishing and believed the elderly and children, who were either not mobile enough or not skilled enough for fly fishing, should have the opportunity to fish on the lake.

"It caused a real stink. People in the lakes district thought it would ruin the fishery."

But with research showing bait fishing had no effect on fish levels, they were successful in their quest.

And now bait fishing was allowed on all lakes and had no effect whatsoever.

Other high points in his time on the council was seeing a new hatchery successfully established at Macraes, thanks to the hard work of council staff.

"It's a very good organisation. Very competent, very professional - much more so than in the acclimatisation days."

Today, most of the work of the council involved dealing with environmental issues such as water quality, threats to habitat and the effects of dairy farms.

The council worked on a good relationship with the Otago Regional Council, which had the "teeth" when it came to dealing with those problems, he said.

Stepping back from the role would be sad, but he had plenty to keep him busy on the farm and with his sawmill, he said.

More travel was also possible: a recent trip to Nepal had only whetted his and wife Sue's travel appetites.

• Nominations for places on the Otago Fish and Game Council close on October 8, and the election takes place by postal ballot or online voting on November 17.

rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz