The New Zealand Sport Fishing Council is disappointed to learn that the ban on the use of boats for sustenance fishing remains in place for level 3.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Ministry of Health, Director General of Health and Minister of Police the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council has requested a review on the ban of boat fishing for sustenance purposes.

A large number of New Zealand’s sustenance fishing public, including NZSFC members and LegaSea supporters, have taken to social media and contacted the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council and its subsidiary LegaSea, to express their frustration with not being able to get out and catch a feed of fish for the table.

NZSFC argues that allowing boating for the purpose of sustenance fishing poses a far lesser risk to both personal safety and spread of the virus than attending supermarkets, schools, walking in parks, mountain biking on cycling tracks, or allowing the public back on beaches and wharves, to fill with beach goers, swimmers, surfers, and fishers permissible under level 3 rules.

The NZSFC propose that if you can do so safely, you should be able to fish for your ‘bubble’ to put food on the table, with the following suggested guidelines.

1. Fishing for food, sustenance without compromising your bubble.

a. This is not intended to be a bubble breaker or become a ‘mates fishing trip’

2. A buddy support system

a. Boats going fishing do so with another suitable boat as pre- arranged support, with VHF and/or cell phone communications.

3. Maintaining as far as practicable the non-essential travel guideline.

a. Restrict fishing to within 5 nautical miles of the shore

b. Stay based at your local launching site - do not travel large distances to ramps outside your area.

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