Source: New Zealand Government
Fish & Game New Zealand’s family fishing licences are receiving a long-overdue update to ensure both adults have equal fishing rights, Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has announced.
From the 2025/26 angling season, both adults will be able to fish independently and have voting rights in Fish & Game elections.
A historic anomaly in the licensing system means the second adult on the licence, often a woman, currently cannot fish without being accompanied by the primary holder or their children, nor stand or vote in elections.
“This is a common-sense change to modernise an outdated aspect of the system and bring family licences into 2025. It’s my hope this will remove accessibility barriers and make it easier for more women and young families to enjoy angling,” Mr Meager says.
“As Minister, it is my responsibility to make it as easy as possible for Kiwis to hunt and fish. These changes will ensure more people can experience angling, while encouraging the next generation to get involved.”
The decision follows University of Otago research commissioned by Fish & Game, which identified barriers to women’s participation in freshwater fishing, alongside feedback from groups like Women on the Fly NZ.
“I am delighted the Minister has acted upon changes to the Family Fishing Licence, which will encourage more women to get out on our rivers and give angling a go,” Fish & Game Patron Dame Lynda Topp says.
“While 13% of individual licence holders are women, this rises to around 30% when considering women listed as the secondary adult on a family licence. If women angled at the same rate as men, we could see up to 60,000 more enjoying our rivers and lakes,” Fish & Game Acting Chief Executive Richie Cosgrove says.
“This is just one piece of a broader strategy to make freshwater fishing more inclusive and accessible.”
The changes are alongside confirmation of no price increases to Fish & Game angling licences, for the first time in five seasons.
“Kiwis are doing it tough and the last thing they need is another financial burden hitting their wallets when they’re trying to put food on the table for families,” Mr Meager says.
“Instead, a 2026 fees review will consider Fish & Game’s actions to ensure improved operational efficiencies, better licence-holder value for money, adjustments to better align the family licence to DOC’s Taupo fishing licence and maintain the financial viability of the organisation’s statutory obligations.”
