On this page you will find details of the North Canterbury Fish & Game team. A list of North Canterbury Councillors will appear shortly.
Anglers & Hunters for Conservation
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Local Councillors & Staff
Regional Manager - Rod Cullinane
The new manager of North Canterbury Fish & Game comes from a different background from its past managers whom have traditionally been promoted from field based roles.
Rod Cullinane is a qualified lawyer and accountant with a long history of corporate management that he hopes will bring a different perspective to the organisation. The Council hired Rod to bring just this new perspective.
Rod will also bring an understanding of returning home empty handed from a fishing trip – an experience all anglers have from time to time! Rod says when he heads out to the lakes his wife says “Rod’s going fishing - we’re having sausages for dinner.”
Rod learned to fish as a youngster on annual family holidays to Taupo, trolling on the lake and flyfishing on rivers such as the Waitahanui. He admits he has had much less success since moving down to the South Island, but hopes to rectify this. His favourite place to fish in Canterbury is the Coleridge lakes, such as Selfe and Georgina. He has never been salmon fishing but is keen to learn.
In his time at Fish & Game Rod plans to review the structure of the organisation and make it more efficient. “I want to look at whether we are doing justice to the different areas we are managing. Can we do things more efficiently?” he says.
One of the things Rod hopes to tackle in his time at Fish & Game is to make sure the hatchery is operating at its best. “North Canterbury is fortunate in that it has one of the largest hatcheries producing sports fish in the South Island. Not only is this a fantastic opportunity for our region, but it enables us to support other regions.”
He adds that North Canterbury is also unique in that it faces some of the toughest challenges to its waterways and fishery. “There needs to be a transformation in the farming sector - there is an obligation from this industry to preserve our natural assets from pollution,” says Rod. He plans to carry on the strong advocacy role that Fish & Game has shown in this area.
Fish & Game Officer
Ross Millichamp
Ross has been with Fish and Game since 1991, initially as a Field Officer and since 2000 as Regional Manager. His role is to oversee the operational and financial performance of the region, although he still finds time to get out into the field now and then.
Liaison with anglers, hunters and statutory agencies takes up much of Ross’s time as these relationships are critical to the ongoing success of Fish & Game.
Although Ross is a keen trout fisherman, sea fisherman, gamebird hunter and big game hunter, once the annual run of salmon turn up in the Rakaia everything else is forgotten. For many years Ross has shared his enjoyment of fishing and hunting by writing related articles for the specialty magazines and the mainstream media.
Fish & Game Officer:
Steve Terry
Steve has been with North Canterbury Fish & Game since 2000. Prior to that, he was contracted by Central South Island Fish & Game over two summers to carry out fisheries research work on the Rangitata River.
Steve is responsible for monitoring the salmon fishery and overseeing the salmon and trout release programs in the region.
Steve has a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Environmental Science from Lincoln University. His interests include hunting, diving and deep sea fishing.
Fish & Game Officer:
Emily Moore
Emily started with Fish & Game in October 2009. She has worked in a range of roles including public relations, advocacy, education and monitoring.
She studied ecology at Lincoln University, and has a particular interest in habitat restoration and enhancement. Her roles at Fish & Game include public relations, access advocacy, habitat restoration and management of Fish & Game controlled land.
In the weekend she is most likely to be found scaring the fish in her white-water kayak.
Fish & Game Officer:
Brian Ross
As one of the countries longest serving Fish & Game Officers with over 32 years in the job, Brian has a wealth of knowledge on both the sports fish and gamebird resources in the region.
Brian is the Regional Compliance Officer and is responsible for monitoring gamebird and trout populations in the region.
Brian’s interests include clay target shooting, hunting and fishing.
Environment Officer:
Tony Hawker
Tony is originally from a farming background in the Nelson region. Having grown up near the banks of the Motueka River, he has developed a keen interest in fly fishing and also enjoys deer and pig hunting when not out on the river.
He moved to Canterbury 9 years ago and joined Fish and Game in December 2008 as the Environment Officer. Tony’s core role is advocating for sports fish and game bird habitat through the resource management process, but he also participates in field work such as spawning surveys and drift dive counts.
Tony is passionate about trout fishing in the North Canterbury area and rates it as one of the best regions in the country for brown trout trophy fishing.
Hatchery Manager:
Dirk Barr
Dirk has been involved as a volunteer with salmon and trout enhancement work for over 25 years. In 1995 he took on the signage installation program at Fish & Game. Dirk is also an Honorary Ranger and has an extensive knowledge of the region.
In April 2008 he under took the position of manager at the Fish & Game hatchery at Montrose. Dirk is also a keen hunter and angler and his passion for salmon fishing is only surpassed by his passion for enhancement.
In his spare time, not many will find him, but those who do, be assured it won’t be without his rod and rifle, or his trusty hunting companion, Buck his black lab, at his side.
Office administrator:
Debbie Ambler
Debbie is usually the first person you meet when you walk into Fish & Game, manning the front desk and fielding a huge variety of phone calls, she deals with all licence sales, data entry and general office administration.
