The big picture is that there are more townies than rural folk and that percentage is increasing all the time. The political gravity trend is also shifting away from the farming lobby. Whilst water quality advocacy was pioneered by Fish and Game it has now become an irreversible national issue. Smart farmers know that they need all the friends they can get and being petulant by closing off access might make them feel good in the short term but pissing off townies is definitely not in their long term interest.
As for Fish and Game this is another altogether sad story. The idea of user self administration sounds great but quite predictably on the ground the execution has been far from the ideal. Having now a farmer/guide councillors dominance only adds to the smell of corruption that has wafted over the organisation for a long time. Likewise to have councillors from that lobby further deludes the principles of Section 35 of the Wildlife Act and section 26 ZN of the Conservation Act, both of which outlaw the selling of fishing and hunting rights. Farmers have been selling exclusive access and guides are paying big dollars to farmers for it. And surprise, surprise no land owner has been prosecuted by Fish and Game for it. So instead of nipping this foul practice in the butt when it first appeared Fish and Game has allowed it to become a common practice.
It would not surprise me that the new farmer/guide dominated councils will soon be urging the government to allow selling of fishing and hunting rights as exist in most other overseas countries. When that happens most of you keen guys will be reduced to fish in drains and canals as anything of worth will be out of you financial league.
The New Zealand council has bee held captive and has been out manoeuvred for years by it's former CEO and I have witnessed numerous unsuccessful plots to get rid of him by successive councils. He ran the organisation as his personal fiefdom and used his cunning to get rid of anyone not on his side.
Fish and Game needs a big makeover for sure although I personally doubt that this concept that will never be free of disruptive personality conflicts is the best solution for gamebird hunters and anglers to administer and manage their sport.
However, if it is to continue then some important changes should be made. Among these councillors should be restricted to 2 terms not be there for life as it happens so often at the moment. This has resulted in power blocks of old boys forming who resist new ideas and give new blood a hard time. There should also be a balanced ratio between game hunters and anglers otherwise one dominates to the detriment of the other. Again this happens far too often. Ever since I can remember Fish and Game has been a snake pit of infighting, which I painfully witnessed first hand when I served a stint as a National Councillor. Worst of all most councillors have not got a clue of fish and game management and so their staff often get away with little oversight.
The only way to sort out this mess and stop political interest groups from infiltrating and corrupting this organisation is to create a politically neutral government run Fish and Game Department, with quality professional staff and user advisory add ons.
The above review makes grim reading especially its reference to Hawkes Bay which has been a microcosm of all the bad things mentioned above.
Let me emphasise and congratulate the many honest and dedicated councillors who have given their all to this organisation and must be gutted to see it sink so low.
Hunters and anglers the future is in your hands so don't let it slip because once it is commercialised (which is well on its way) you will never win it back.
Cheers
Rainbow