With the wonderful, heart warming comments regarding this tournament, plus the popularity among supporters worldwide, surely the answer to the financial problem is really quite simple.

With the overall cost: entry fees, accommodation, travel expenses (air fares) plus the cost of bait, tackle and liquid refreshments running into many hundreds of dollars per angler (which nobody complains about) why not simply increase the entry fee by an extra $50.00 a rod?

Such a small rise would only represent a fraction of the overall cost to participate. Doing the maths (as already suggested) 1000 rods at an extra $50.00 a rod equates to a handsome, extra, $50,000. Problem solved. Who would complain at an extra $10.00 a day? This is a very manageable cost increase to keep what is New Zealand's premier surfcasting competition not only alive but thriving.

Such a small, easily manageable increase in total expenditure is well within the inflation rate, I am sure such a method to preserve the tournament would be roundly applauded by the participants.