Southland Fish and Game councillor Ken Cochrane told the council he will not resign.

A Fish and Game councillor asked to step down after moaning about women scientists at a public whitebait reform meeting will not resign.

At an extraordinary meeting last month the Southland Fish & Game Council passed a unanimous vote of no confidence and asked for councillor Ken Cochrane's resignation.

It followed comments Cochrane made at a public meeting organised by the Southland Recreational Whitebaiters Association where he voiced his frustrations in dealing with "chick scientists" as part of a whitebait working party.

Blair Jackson/Stuff The sign placed on the Southland Fish and Game Council's head office in Invercargill.

He told the meeting "I sat there one day and I thought; 'what I'm listening to is a whole bunch of chick scientists' - and if you really looked at the view that they were pitching - [it] was everybody in New Zealand should not shave their armpits, they should wear dreadlocks, and when they go whitebaiting they should do it in jandals only".

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* If Cochrane can still contribute to a team effort, he should stay.

Cochrane was speaking about a Department of Conservation discussion document which proposed shortening the whitebait season, prohibiting fishing from some rivers for a set period of time, and phasing out sock nets, trap nets and screens.

John Hawkins/Stuff Southland Fish and Game chairman Graeme Watson said councillor Ken Cochrane will need to change his attitude.

The comments were met with outrage by Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and the Department of Conservation.

At the time, Sage called the comments sexist, derogatory and discriminatory.

Citing health and safety concerns amid Covid-19 fallout, the council held a meeting behind closed doors on Thursday and excluded media from attending.

On Friday, council chairman Graeme Watson said Cochrane apologised at the meeting.

"Councillor Cochran apologised to the council for his conduct, however, reiterated that he would not resign," Watson said.

"Council made it clear to him that he will need to change his attitude if he wishes to contribute to Fish & Game's management, particularly given our science focus."

Under council standing orders the threshold to remove a councillor was quite high and traditionally required criminal activity.

On Friday, Sage was asked if she accepted Cochrane's apology, if he should have resigned and if she would remove Cochrane from his role.

Sage responded: "I am confident that Southland Fish and Game can resolve the issue with Mr Cochrane, however if they wish to formally request my assistance, I would consider any such request. I have not received any such request."

Cochrane declined to comment when approached on Friday.