The Southland Fish & Game Council is urging other regional councils to reduce their operating costs, to reduce licence fee increases for members.
The "ambitious" proposal was outlined in September 26 correspondence from Southland Fish & Game chairman Graeme Watson to the Otago council, in which he proposed other councils find a 1% reduction in the 2020-21 financial year.
"If we do not collectively take this step and find these reductions ourselves, we leave ourselves open to having change forced upon us," he said.
The matter was one of the items discussed during this week’s Otago Fish & Game meeting in Cromwell.
Mr Watson said the Southland council was concerned licence fees were increasing at a rate which had outstripped inflation.
Otago Fish & Game chief executive Ian Hadland said it was "ambitious stuff" by the Southland council.
Mr Hadland said the range of options was worth considering, including sourcing external funding.
A recommendation to shorten the 2020 game bird hunting season on a "trial basis" was moved by council members.
The season, which had been three months long, would run for two and a-half months.
The recommendations followed feedback from hunter surveys and a Facebook poll.
Councillor John Highton said there would be a lot of sympathy for the season being shortened.
Mr Hadland said the recommendations were about maximising opportunity for harvest.
An extension to the junior paradise duck season from one weekend day to two consecutive weekends in March was also moved by members.
No bag limit changes to last season’s regulations were proposed.
