Associate Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson is adamant she made the right decision in refusing to increase fishing licence fees for the coming season.
Yesterday, she said she followed the parameters laid down in the Conservation Act, which gave her the power to make a decision on fishing licence fees requested by Fish and Game New Zealand.
On Wednesday, Fish and Game chief executive Bryce Johnson was critical of her refusal to increase licence fees, from $105 to $109 for an adult full season licence and proportional amounts for other classes of licences.
He said the licence fees were "cost recovery" and needed by the 12 fish and game councils in New Zealand to do their job.
But Ms Wilkinson said Fish and Game, in its original submission for a fee increase, said it could carry out its statutory functions without an increase, by using reserves.
"I also took account that we were in tough times and people were tightening their belts," she said.
After her initial refusal to increase fees, Fish and Game went to a public law specialist and she was "presented with a three- or four-page diatribe" asking her to review the decision.
She questioned why Mr Johnson had not discussed the issue with her directly instead of spending anglers' money on a legal decision.
"I had another look and was happy with my original decision, especially as Fish and Game had said it didn't need the increase," she said.
Otago Fish and Game chief executive Niall Watson said yesterday fish and game councils had worked hard to hold fees down as far as possible but were faced with increased fixed costs for things like vehicle running, trying to ramp up promotions and client support, as well as maintaining all-important habitat protection activities.
Mr Watson said the logic behind Ms Wilkinson's decision was puzzling because fish and game councils were wholly self-funding through licence sales and accountable to their respective angler and hunter electorates over their decisions.
"The average increase sought was hardly extravagant and the Otago increase was modest," he said.
Fish and Game needed clarification on the thinking behind the decision, but at this stage in the year was fully focused on the upcoming season, which started on October 1, he said.
