Membership
Photo Credit: The Fishing Paper & Hunting News
Fish Mainland offers two ways to sign up for free Membership, Ordinary and Financial Members:
Ordinary Members may include any person who is interested in and supportive of recreational fishing and/or sustainable fisheries management practices.
Ordinary Membership is not restricted to those who reside or own property on the South Island or Stewart Island, nor is Membership restricted to only those who fish.
Financial Members may include any corporate body (i.e. incorporated society, charitable trust or company) located in the South Island or Stewart Island that is interested in and supportive of recreational fishing and/or sustainable fisheries management practices.
In time, Life Membership will be available in recognition and appreciation of outstanding service in furthering the purpose of Fish Mainland. Life Membership will have all the rights, privileges and obligations of an Ordinary Member.
Voting for regional Directors
Ordinary Members who reside and/or own property in the South Island or Stewart Island and appointed delegates of Financial Members are eligible to vote at any Fish Mainland General Meeting. Each has one vote.
Ordinary Members who are eligible to vote and appointed delegates of Financial Members who are in good standing are eligible to stand for election as Directors.
Informing fisheries management decision makers
Adequate and appropriate information on recreational fishing is fundamental to effective management decision making.
However, in most fisheries there is very limited quantitative information on total recreational catch and catch relative to bag limits. This lack of information disadvantages the recreational fishing sector when decisions are made on fishing access and resource allocations.
Membership provides Fish Mainland with a database. This database is a potentially valuable fisheries management resource. It is in the best interests of Fish Mainland Members to use this database to undertake cost-effective approaches for collecting information on recreational fishing.
This means that Fish Mainland may periodically contact Members to request the collection of information that will better inform decision making.