Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Changes are being made to Fish & Game's family fishing licensing so both adults on a licence can fish independently.
A family licence, which costs $203, covers a couple (the primary and secondary licence holders) and up to four children or grandchildren under the age of 18.
The secondary licence holder may take children fishing, or fish in the company of the children, without the primary holder being present.
However, only the primary licence holder can use the licence to fish independently.
Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager said often the second adult on the licence was a woman, and the changes were being made to remove the "historic anomaly" ahead of the 2025-26 angling season.
"This is a common-sense change to modernise an outdated aspect of the system and bring family licences into 2025.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," he said.
It would also mean the secondary holder could stand or vote in Fish & Game elections.
Fish & Game acting chief executive Richie Cosgrove said 13 percent of individual licence holders were women, but it rose to around 30 percent when considering women 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," he said.
A 2023 University of Otago study, commissioned by Fish & Game, recommended evaluating the family licence.
"Many women anglers are the secondary licence holder on a family licence. However, this restricts some women from participating in freshwater fishing in the way they would like to," the study said.
Fish & Game acting chief executive Richie Cosgrove. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
"Many secondary licence holders found this restriction to be somewhat unfair as it offers no opportunity to fish alone (or with friends)."
With licences going on sale from 1 September, Fish & Game confirmed there would also be no price increases this year.
"We want to make women feel welcome" - Women on the Fly
Women on the Fly, a women's fishing community group, had advocated for the changes and said there had been a serious push over the last four years.
Its national co-ordinator Leigh Johnson said the current system was old-fashioned, with neighbours who do not fish expressing bemusement that the current system meant many women could not fish without their partner present.
"Now it's about a fresh start and equal footing. Women in our community wanted the same rights as the principal licence holder, and that is to fish independently."
Johnson said her question when starting Women on the Fly was "why aren't there more women fishing?"
She said if women participated at the same rate as men there would be another 40-60,000 anglers fishing.
"I think there's an opportunity for quite a significant increase in the number of women, and making it accessible, making women feel welcome to get out. I mean, that's part of it. Women don't necessarily feel welcome to get out at the moment, it's seen as a bit of a male tradition. So we want to make women feel welcome and make it more accessible for them."
The changes to allow secondary holders to vote or stand in elections would also mean more women would have access to governance.
"Women on the Fly operates at the ground level, the grassroots. We're working from the bottom up to get more women into fishing. If the governance level, looking at more women involved, then that's working from the top down, and that will bring cultural and other strengths to fishing and Fish & Game New Zealand as well," Johnson said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
