Dead man’s wishes ignored by Fish & Game

A keen fisherman left more than $500,000 to Fish & Game in his will for restocking rivers with salmon — but they ignored his wishes and used it for, among other things, fixing their head office.

Christchurch fisherman James Walter McIntyre died last year, without any family or children, leaving money to North Canterbury Fish and Game in his will. However a leaked report reveals they took legal advice to ignore his last wishes.

An investigation into the regional Fish & Game council was launched this year after five councillors raised financial and transparency concerns and questioned how a generous bequest was being spent.

A draft review of the audit’s findings, leaked to the Herald on Sunday, also calls for the appointment of an independent chair to guide the council through its difficulties.

In his bequest McIntyre asked that the money he left be used to restock the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers with salmon. A total of $523,935.24 was paid last year.

But after taking “high-level legal advice” in August last year, North Canterbury Fish and Game Council chairman Trevor Isitt advised they were “not bound by the estate wishes”, the draft audit report states.

In March this year, $49,500 was used for improvements to the regional council’s head office in Christchurch. The following month, interest on the money totalling $16,875 in two payments, was made to the Water and Wildlife Habitat Trust — which receives funding from North Canterbury Fish and Game.

Councillors slammed the move, though the auditor noted that McIntyre left the money’s use legally open by including the phrase “without imposing any trust” in his will.

New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association spokesman Paul Hodgson was shocked to learn some of McIntyre’s money had been spent without his group’s consultation.