May 27th 2024.
A mother of two from Rolleston, New Zealand, found herself questioning the strict regulations surrounding freshwater fishing after a recent encounter with Fish and Game. Nikola Murphy and her two young daughters were out on Lake Brunner, trying out their new fishing rods that they had received as Christmas gifts from their grandparents. Excited to give it a go, the kids eagerly cast their lines, but when her six-year-old daughter struggled, Murphy stepped in to help.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a ranger from West Coast Fish and Game appeared, seemingly watching them through binoculars. Despite Murphy's children having valid fishing licenses, she did not, and the ranger served her with an infringement notice. When Murphy offered to purchase a license on the spot, the ranger refused, claiming it was too late. Feeling frustrated and powerless, Murphy described the experience as a "power trip." She also mentioned that they didn't even have any bait and highly doubted her children would have caught anything.
To her surprise, Murphy received a summons to the Greymouth District Court, where she was offered a diversion as long as she paid a $600 fee to Fish and Game. For those unfamiliar, diversion is a program designed by the police to allow first-time offenders to take responsibility for their actions and avoid getting a criminal record. Murphy was shocked and upset, as she had never been in trouble with the law before and never imagined she would be facing a diversion for simply casting a fishing line.
Despite feeling like Fish and Game had been heavy-handed in their enforcement, Murphy knew it wasn't feasible for her to challenge the allegation in court. It would have cost her more than $600 to stay in Greymouth and hire a lawyer, not to mention the risk of a criminal record. As Murphy and her family hope to travel overseas at some point, she didn't want to jeopardize that opportunity.
The whole ordeal had a significant impact on Murphy's young children, who are now afraid that their mother will go to jail for fishing. Murphy described it as a confronting experience for her six and nine-year-old daughters. On the other hand, West Coast Fish and Game Compliance Coordinator Baylee Kersten stated that the ranger was simply doing his job. He had observed an angler (Murphy) casting and retrieving a lure without a valid license, which is against the regulations.
The good news is that the prosecution was withdrawn after Murphy completed the diversion process and accepted responsibility for her actions. In hindsight, Murphy's family could have taken advantage of Fish and Game's concession rate for a group family license, which costs $198 for a season. Kersten also mentioned that Fish and Game loves seeing young anglers taking up the sport and encouraged Murphy's family to attend their children's instructional fishing event in December.
Overall, this experience has left a bitter taste in Murphy's mouth, and her children are now afraid of fishing. She hopes that her story will raise awareness of the strict regulations and heavy-handed enforcement of Fish and Game, causing others to think twice before enjoying a day out on the water. This article has been shared with permission from Stuff.co.nz.
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