Hi, boardies,
As promissed, I have enquired of Fish and Game about trout in esturine waters, bellow i quote from the Conservation act which is quite clear on this issue. It would not be a good idea to be in posession of trout without a license or with incorrect tackle, sorry guys. Tight lines, Philip.Section 26 ZI 1 (a) of the Conservation Act says:
1) Subject to this Act, every person commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 who—
(a) Takes sports fish from any freshwater at any time, unless that person is the holder of a licence issued under this Act authorising him or her to take such fish from such waters at such time; or
(b) Has in his or her possession any sports fish taken from any freshwater, unless the fish have been taken lawfully.
The definition of freshwater in the Conservation Act is:
freshwater means—
(a) All waters of rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, lagoons, wetlands, impoundments, canals, channels, watercourses, or other bodies of water whether naturally occurring or artificially made:
(b) All waters of estuaries or coastal lagoons:
(c) All other fresh or estuarine waters where freshwater fish indigenous to or introduced into New Zealand are found:
(d) All waters in the mouth of every river or stream, and the mouth of every river and stream shall be deemed to include every outlet thereof and the seashore between those outlets and the waters of the sea or lying within a distance of 500 metres from any place where at low tide the waters of a river or stream meet the waters of the sea:]