A new law requiring charter boat operators to provide information about customers' catches to the government – and to pay the government for the privilege, is angering the industry.

A recent meeting in Whitianga between industry and government representatives on this issue didn't go well, says Tauranga Charter Boat Association secretary Mike O'Niell.

'This is the law and you will damn well do as you are told,” is the message the Whitianga charter operators were told, says Mike.

Charter boat operation is like taxi driving, says Mike. They take the anglers out and bring them back. For most in the industry it is a lifestyle choice – without a big income.

'Breaking even would be good for us,” says Mike.

'Commercial fishermen go to work seven days, we are waiting for the consumer to decide when to have another go.”

The law on registration, vessel activity and catch reporting came into effect on November 1, from when the results of all charter fishing trips are required to be reported.

Charter boat operators are required to pay $27 to register their boats online, and $54 by post – and then provide the Ministry with monthly reports on each fishing trip undertaken; where and when fish were caught, and what species.

The charter operators have been assured in the Ministry papers that the confidentiality of their respective ‘spot X's' will be protected by the Official Information Act.

'The operators would be very happy to provide the Ministry with information that will can be used to help sustainably manage fish stocks, but they have upset everybody by the way they have gone about this,” says Mike.

'Now we have the fisheries Minister telling us if we don't do this they will take away our livelihood. These are issues that have offended a lot of people.”

The charter boat operators want to know why the Ministry isn't speaking to the people who are catching fish. That way they would have far more information than the relatively few charter operators can provide.

Ministry of Fisheries inshore team fishing analyst Graeme McGregor says he doesn't agree that charter boat operators are being asked to pay to provide the government with information.

'There is a user pays charge to register that is true,” says Graeme.

'I guess it depends how you look at it. We tend to think they are providing information to take their interests into account in fisheries management decisions.

'We are not collecting information gratuitously, it's basically information to characterise charter boat fishing. The Minister made the call that he wanted that information collected.

'I suppose this is the sort of thing we will be discussing at the meeting. There does seem to be quite a lot of misinformation about it.