An $8 increase in the price of an adult full-season licence has been proposed for the coming fishing season.
Fish and Game New Zealand has proposed to increase the cost of the licence to $113 and the full-season game licence cost by $6 to $86.
At a recent meeting of the Otago Fish and Game Council in Dunedin, councillors agreed to support the proposal, which will go to the Minister of Conservation for approval.
Last year, the minister did not approve a fee increase.
A report to the Otago council said the lack of an increase last year meant New Zealand council reserves were used to cover the reduced fee.
The proposed rise would cover the Government's increase in GST and would also go towards the organisation's legal fund, which had been underfunded.
Otago council member Ray Grubb said the national council should also investigate instituting an international licence, for the "simple reason" it was a return on its investment.
Paying $US300-$400 ($NZ420-$565) for a month's licence would be a "minuscule" amount given what international anglers spent to get to New Zealand and what they spent to fish in their own countries.
"It's beyond me why we haven't done it before."
Dave Witherow, Otago's representative on the national council, said the move had been considered but turned down as discriminatory.
The council agreed to write to the New Zealand council, recommending it look at the issue with urgency.
