The Anglers Notice (the regulations governing angling in Otago) review being undertaken by Fish and Game Otago suggests 12 possible changes for next fishing season based on feedback from 15 submissions.
Fish and Game was now consulting anglers again to see what they thought of the possible changes, which included expanding the back-country fishery to include the Hunter, Young and Wilkin Rivers and changing the bag limit, reducing bag limits on the Poolburn dam and Reid Lake and smaller rivers and large lakes, imposing method restrictions and bag limits on Lake Tuakitoto and Pomahaka above Park Hill bridge, and allowing fishing from a boat on the lower Taieri River.
Otago Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson said Otago undertook a major review of the notice every three years and this year there had been a lot of interest regarding angling conditions.
"People have generally argued for lower bag limits for some time on the grounds that the high levels of harvest were unnecessary and unsustainable and they want consistency with other regions."
Many anglers wanted bag limits to better match the productivity of individual fisheries, he said.
"There is a continuing trend toward lower bag limits to match sustainability with productivity and share the resource about."
Otago allowed a bag limit of six while Central South Island and Southland had bag limits of just four, Mr Watson said.
"Consistency helps people comply with the law when it's a more common standard."
He hoped more anglers would come forward and make submissions on the changes, so the council got the "best feel" for what the region's anglers wanted before they were required to make their decisions.
Submissions close on June 6 and then the council would consider the notice at its meeting on June 16. Their decision would then be sent to the Minister of Conservation for approval in time for the start of the fishing season in October.
