Following feedback from anglers we ran a survey to better understand community sentiment. Here are the results.
Date: 30 June 2026
The survey
We proposed to introduce spin fishing along a limited section of the Tauranga-Taupō River below the State Highway 1 road bridge. This specific section was identified as underutilised by anglers.
Following conflicting feedback from the angling community we decided to run a survey to better understand community sentiment.
The survey has taken place and the data analysed. This report presents the results. At this stage, no decisions have been made and there is no time pressure to progress this work – the earliest a regulation change could be introduced is 1 July 2027.
Methodology
An online survey was publicly available for approximately two weeks (13 March to 29 March 2026) and delivered using MS Forms. All responses were anonymous, allowing participants to freely share their views and also satisfy Government privacy guidelines.
The number of survey questions were kept to a minimum, allowing most people to complete the survey in 5 to 6 minutes.
Questions were carefully structured to encourage participants to share their experience fishing in the Taupō Fishing District and to consider broader fishery management issues including the long-term sustainability of the Taupo fishery, where challenges such as recruiting new anglers are important.
The survey is viewed as part of the decision-making process. The survey does not solely determine an outcome. However, is does offer a valuable insight into angler opinions, beyond the views often reflected on social media.