“WHITEBAIT”

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Juggling running whitebait and a tsunami

By PETER O'NEILL - The Timaru Herald | Tuesday, 06 October 2009

WHEN WE heard of last Wednesday's tsunami the first thing we did was head for the beach.

To be fair, we were going anyway. The family was on a whitebaiting holiday in Kakanui.

Lovely spot by the way.

The camping ground owner provided the initial warning. Allan's a member of the volunteer fire brigade. He poked his head in the caravan door.

"There's been an earthquake near Samoa, and a tsunami's heading this way. Supposed to reach us around 11.30. About a metre high."

(Notice he said tsunami. There are no such things as tidal waves any more).

Being a semi-educated person I looked around the campsite for signs of a tsunami. The dogs were lying in the sun. Birds were chirping. No elephants were headed inland.

So we finished breakfast and headed for the rivermouth.

"What's a metre," I said to my wife, indicating a line just under my knee. "They'll just be playing it safe. Bet it will come to nothing."

She gave me one of THOSE looks. When we got to the mouth some people were heading swiftly for their vehicles. I use the word "swiftly" generously. They were aged about 90.

"There's a tsunami coming," he delighted in telling us as he tripped on a small stone.

"You'd better hurry then, you've only got 90 minutes," I said under my breath as I unpacked the nets.

At this point I noticed something far more important than elderly people picking themselves off the beach or impending large bodies of water.

People standing in the surf were regularly tipping stuff into their buckets. Whitebait!

There is an underlying excitement when whitebait are running. People catching it can't get their nets back into the water quickly enough, but try to look nonchalant as they do it.

"Me? Excited? Nooo." Splash. Splash.

Something happens also in these situations to people who have just arrived and have to set up their nets. Keeping one eye on those "not" lifting at a frantic pace they clout each other on the head as they "calmly" unload their nets and handles. Wingnuts disappear into a mass of like-coloured stones. There is some cursing.

By the time you get to the water and have had your first couple of scoops you wonder what all the fuss was about.

Back to the tsunami.

There is another chap wandering the beach. He has a radio. He's young, about 70. He says they've downgraded the warnings. He reckons he knew all along that they would.

"Just covering their butts," he says.

I like this man. Whitebait are just beginning to find their way into our nets when the civil defence siren sounds from town. I know exactly what it is, but ask my wife anyway "what's that, lunchtime?".

"Didn't go off yesterday," she replied, matter-of-factly. Besides, it's only 11 o'clock. Whatever logic I was going to produce next was overtaken by a fellow whitebaiter who streaked past us to his vehicle. He was nearly running.

"Oh great," I thought, as the predictable herd-like mentality took over and everyone else cleared the beach.

Pretty soon we are the only ones in the surf. "We should go," my wife says.

No matter that the wave is only a metre; that it's now two hours away if it happens at all (update from the 70-year-old); that Samoa is that way (pointing) and I'm pretty sure there's a jutty out bit of the North Island in the way; and, if I haven't mentioned it, that the whitebait are running.

She's thinking all the same things, but says: "It'd just be irresponsible. We've got someone else's child with us." Our son has brought along a mate.

"Look, that panic artist is probably in the fire brigade. He has to go when the siren sounds," I say. (Turns out later I was right).

"No, let's go."

This is why she's the mother.

So we trudge back to the car. I drag my net in the sand. I can't bring myself to load everything up again. I look at the bait in my holder. I look at the surge of the sea into the mouth.

And then the local constabulary arrives. All his lights are flashing. They'd be a squeal of tyres if he wasn't on gravel. This obviously beats paperwork.

"Out, out," he hollows, before powering off in a shower of stones, breaking two windscreens (okay, so I exaggerate).

He spends the next hour though getting people off both sides of the mouth and along the riverbank. "Out, out."

The fire brigade's both engines are on duty, one blocking an entry point to the beach, the other keeping watch from a headland. There are no official updates, except to say monitoring equipment on Raoul Island has detected a surge.

Neither the policeman nor the firemen know where Raoul Island is.

For the next five hours everyone keeps an eye on the horizon. And as we do so I realise how petty I've been.

Over that horizon is a disaster I simply can't appreciate.

My thoughts are with all those in Samoa and Tonga.

www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/opinion/o-neill-off-the-hook/2934926/Juggling-running-whitebait-and-a-tsunami

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Whitebaiters warned over intimidation, threats

By REBEKAH LYELL of the Hokitika Guardian - The Greymouth Star | Tuesday, 06 October 2009

WHITEBAITERS on the Hokitika River have been warned to behave themselves or face prosecution.

Sergeant Russell Glue, of Hokitika police, said they had received a number of complaints about intimidation and threats being made to people fishing on local rivers, especially the Hokitika.

“Police are taking these complaints seriously and if this sort of behaviour continues then police will be charging offenders for their actions.”

Mr Glue said police were working closely with the Department of Conservation on the issue.

DOC Hokitika area manager Ian McClure said there had been several reports of intimidation from people who had been subject to abuse.

“In the most recent reported case a person who arrived and started fishing at a vacant spot was accosted by an aggressive whitebaiter, who was convinced he owned the location and proceeded to whitebait right at the exact same spot while abusing the person, who had every right to be there.”

Mr McClure said anyone who was intimidated or abused should inform the police.

“I have made it clear to the people who are acting in this way that they have no special rights to that section of river and positions on the bank are available to all on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.” He was also concerned about the behaviour of a number of whitebaiters on the south side of the Hokitika River, where a group of about 10 people had marked out what they saw as their “own private fishing spots” on the floodwall by erecting structures, cutting down vegetation and rolling smaller rocks from the wall into the water to hold down their spotter boards.

“When they are away from the floodwall they attempt to reserve their fishing positions by tying ropes across the access ways they have cut through the vegetation and leaving boards, cut vegetation and other obstructions in the way,” Mr McClure said.

DOC staff had made several visits to Southside to ensure those responsible for the damage were identified and held responsible for removing it.

Mr Glue said anyone with complaints about threats, intimidation or other criminal matters should contact the police, who would investigate and deal with the matter.

Mr McClure said rangers were also reminding whitebaiters that they must remove all of their fishing gear, including stakes and spotters, from the water when they had finished for the day.

“In some cases department staff have had to remove gear left in the water and put it on the bank. In future, gear left in the water will be taken way from the riverbed after removal.”

www.greystar.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3740&Itemid=1

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Threats as whitebaiters vie for best river spots

By JARROD BOOKER - The New Zealand Herald | Friday, 09 October 2009


GRABBING A SPOT: A few fishermen have sites they
register and pay for but for most it's a free-for-all.
— Photo: ALAN GIBSON/NZ Herald.

IT'S ALWAYS been a sought-after delicacy, but the insatiable appetite for whitebait is now leading to warfare on the riverbanks.

Police and the Department of Conservation are fielding reports of threats and intimidation on the West Coast as whitebaiters vie for the best fishing spots.

The region is widely considered to have the best whitebait in the country and lures fishermen from far afield.

Authorities have warned they will not tolerate such behaviour, and will prosecute if necessary.

Sergeant Russell Glue, of the Hokitika police, said people had complained of other whitebaiters pushing them from their fishing spots on the Hokitika River, and he was convinced it was happening on other rivers too.

There had been no reports of violence as yet, but police were concerned it could continue to escalate if unchecked.

A lean run for whitebait might have intensified the competition for the delicacy, Mr Glue said.

Tougher economic times seemed to have encouraged more people to go fishing to try to make some money.

He was unsure if people visiting the Coast were being picked on by locals.

"There's a lot of people around that aren't locals, but they're entitled to have a go as well as everybody else. They're all as bad as each other, to be honest."

Disputes over whitebait on the West Coast are nothing new.

In 2003, the Grey District Council considered regulations after disputes over positions on the Grey River led to alleged threats of retaliation from Christchurch gang members.

Angela Anderson, of the West Coast Whitebaiters Association, said the group was "seriously concerned" about the aggression and blatant rule-breaking and had taken its concerns to the Government.

While a limited number of fishermen had structures on sites they registered and paid for, others were trying to claim fishing spots they had no right to.

"They are claiming that site, and the next morning someone else will be on that site, and that's where the fighting and the arguments are starting. It's first in, first served."

Mrs Anderson said she had heard of a group from Australia who had travelled to the Coast just to try their hand at catching the premier whitebait the region offered.

The whitebaiting season on the West Coast ends on November 14, and for the rest of the country on November 30.

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10602064

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Hokitika whitebaiting boilover

By REBEKAH LYELL of the Hokitika Guardian - The Greymouth Star | Thursday, 15 October 2009

TEMPERS are flaring on the Hokitika River, with some whitebaiters accusing the Department of Conservation of heavy-handed tactics.

A group of fishermen has been warned for erecting structures, cutting down vegetation and rolling small rocks from the floodwall into the river to hold down spotter boards on the Southside ‘drag’.

However, they have responded, in a series of letters to the Guardian, that DOC is the only one intimidating others on the river.

“I thought it was DOC’s job to conserve the environment, not to dictate and bully people by ripping out our spotters and throwing them up the banks,” one said.

Jeff Phillips said they were trying to comply with department requests and rules.

However, DOC rangers had been on the riverbank “ripping pegs from banks, frightening children and old people” and throwing spotters.

“We realise we don’t own the river, we are just part of it for the whitebaiting season. Sadly, it is one thing after another and we are portrayed as the ones doing the wrong.”

DOC Hokitika area manager Ian McClure said staff were administering the West Coast Whitebait Fishing Regulations.

“Our staff are not rude or heavy-handed, (but) sometimes people do get upset when they are found fishing contrary to the whitebait regulations.”

Whitebaiters have been warned several times throughout the season that they must obey the regulations or face action.

Whitebaiters have also been warned to behave after the Hokitika police received a number of complaints about intimidation and threats being made to people fishing on the river.

www.greystar.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3758&Itemid=1

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Whitebaiter's body found

By MICHAEL FOX - Stuff.co.nz | Monday, 19 October 2009

THE BODY of a Southland man who went missing while whitebaiting last night has been found by searchers.

An Invercargill police spokesman said: "He went missing last night and we've been conducting a search this morning and he has just been found, however, he's passed away," he said.

The man, reportedly fishing near Fortrose, had been missing since around 8pm last night.

The spokesman said the family had not yet been notified and more details would be released later today.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2979543/Whitebaiters-body-found

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Dead whitebaiter named

NZPA | Tuesday, 20 October 2009

POLICE have named a man found dead after going whitebaiting in Southland.

James Fortune Foggo, a 67-year-old from Bluff, disappeared while whitebaiting in Fortrose, east of Invercargill, about 8pm on Sunday. His body was found yesterday morning.

Police said Mr Foggo's body was found in the water, pushed hard up against a neighbouring whitebaiter's stand.

A post mortem was performed yesterday and his death had been referred to the coroner.

www.stuff.co.nz/national/2982132/Dead-whitebaiter-named

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Dead whitebaiter was Bluff identity

By JARED MORGAN - The Southland Times | Wednesday, 21 October 2009

BLUFF is mourning the loss of a fishing industry identity.

James Fortune Foggo, 67, known as Jimmy, disappeared while whitebaiting at Fortrose, southeast of Invercargill, about 8pm on Sunday.

His body was found by searchers on Monday morning.

Sergeant Mark Lucas, of Invercargill, said Mr Foggo's body was found in the water, about 100m from his whitebaiting stand.

An autopsy was performed on Monday and his death had been referred to the coroner.

Friend Alan Mitchell said news of Mr Foggo's death had sent shockwaves through the Bluff community.

An oysterman for most of his working life and a stalwart of the Bluff Rugby Club, Mr Foggo was well known in the town, Mr Mitchell said. "He was a harmless bugger, a good bugger — at least he died doing something he liked."

Brother Tommy Foggo said Mr Foggo's death was tragic for the family, who needed time to come to terms with their loss.

Mr Foggo is survived by wife Rosalie, his three children and grandchildren.

www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/2986457/Dead-whitebaiter-was-Bluff-identity

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Keen whitebaiting couple back for more

By RACHEL YOUNG and BLAIR ENSOR - The Marlborough Express | Tuesday, 27 October 2009


PATIENCE: Whitebaiter Peter Dixon,
71, braves the waves at the Wairau
Diversion on his quest for the delicacy.
— DEREK FLYNN/The Marlborough Express.

YOUNG, old, amateur and experienced fishers lined the banks of the Wairau Diversion during the long weekend.

Among them were 71-year-old keen whitebaiter Peter Dixon and his wife Maryrose.

Originally from Marlborough, the couple now divide their time between the North and the South Islands, returning to Marlborough every whitebait season with their house bus.

Mr Dixon said that every day the whitebait were running, he was out early with his scoop net.

The Dixons said many of the committed whitebaiters were like an extended family, with everyone meeting up each season at the diversion.

Fellow whitebaiter Shane Middlemiss agreed.

He said there was always a great, friendly atmosphere at the diversion.

Mr Middlemiss said he always made the time to go whitebaiting since taking it up more than 15 years ago. He usually caught enough to make a few patties, to give some away and to sell to friends.

The Marlborough whitebait season runs until November 30.

Also at the diversion yesterday were the Halfacre family. They brought Japanese exchange student Kaho Shinoda with them to introduce her to beach fishing.

Despite catching more seaweed than fish, the family enjoyed sitting in the sun, playing in the surf and having a picnic.

Hunting and Fishing New Zealand owner Don Hansen said he had heard reports of a few whitebait catches at the Wairau Diversion and Wairau Bar, but it had been a very late season.

"It's about the same as last year; it hasn't set the world on fire. We haven't had the real consistent runs that there normally are."

Mr Hansen said it should have "fired up" over the weekend.

"We had good tides and plenty of people out there doing it."

Mr White said whitebaiting in other parts of the South Island, like the West Coast, had been sporadic.

"The deeper south you go, the better it has been."

There had been some big catches in the Clutha River, he said.

DOC South Marlborough programme manager community relations Colin Davis said there had been "really good" compliance among those fishing so far this season.

"It's a passive recreation, a very enjoyable pastime, but it's not been an easy season for the fisher, which is a bonus for the whitebait."

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/3002455/Keen-whitebaiting-couple-back-for-more

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Five-hour ordeal for whitebaiter

The Nelson Mail | Saturday, 31 October 2009

A 70-YEAR-OLD Mapua man who dislocated his hip while whitebaiting in a remote area of Golden Bay spent five hours dragging himself 50 metres to his car to raise the alarm.

The man was flown by Summit Rescue Helicopter from Mangarakau, south of Westhaven Inlet on the west coast, to Nelson Hospital yesterday afternoon.

St John Ambulance operations manager Jon Leach said the man fell and dislocated his hip at 9.40am but it was not until 3.20pm that the helicopter arrived.

Helicopter pilot Jarrod Colbourne said the man took five hours to drag himself to his car where he rigged up a white cloth on the end of a stick as a flag.

"Some locals who were passing by had stopped and looked down on where the patient was and saw the flag being waved. When they stopped their car engine they could hear him calling for help."

Mr Leach said the feat was impressive.

"He seems to have been a pretty self-sufficient kind of guy. He has managed to do the whole self-reliance thing and get himself out."

The man was in a stable condition in hospital this morning.

www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/3018404/Five-hour-ordeal-for-whitebaiter

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Small fish, big drama

By CHARLES ANDERSON - The Nelson Mail | Monday, 02 November 2009

SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD Bill Rzoska could tell a cracking yarn about the one that got away – a single dropped whitebait that led to a five-hour agonising ordeal as he crawled to safety with a dislocated right hip.

"A bit of drama, I'd say," Mr Rzoska, from Mapua, said from his bed in Nelson Hospital on Saturday.

He was whitebaiting on Friday at Sandhill Creek in a remote area of Golden Bay. At 9am, he bent down to see if there were any whitebait in his net. One of them fell to the ground.

"So, rather than leaving him to die on the hot sand, I bent over to pick him up," Mr Rzoska said. "The next minute, I was flat on my face."

His artificial hip dislocated, leaving his right leg useless.

"It was like giving birth. I have been through my fair share of the wars in my time, but this beat everything in terms of pain."

Mr Rzoska began whitebaiting more than 30 years ago when mining coal on the West Coast. He credits that job with wearing away his hip, from shovelling off one leg all day.

He was born in Nelson but spends the whitebaiting season in a caravan on a farm near Mangarakau, south of Westhaven Inlet.

Mr Rzoska said if he had fallen in the wrong place, he might have drowned.

Instead of waiting to see what might happen, he started to crawl the 50 metres to his truck, using his good leg to kick himself along.

He passed out twice with the pain. Then his other leg cramped up.

"I told myself to slow down. I was more concerned by two seagulls that landed by me that I thought would peck my eyes out."

He reached his vehicle five hours later and, after picking up some food, crawled to a farm gate. There he lifted off a chain from the gate before crawling to a clearing where people driving past might see him.

"I could have been there for days. Some other whitebaiters would have probably been quite happy; one less competitor on the river."

Mr Rzoska then made a flag out of a piece of flax and a white cloth.

"I used my lungs. It's quite surprising how you can yell with gusto in that situation."

The third car that passed stopped and the driver went to a nearby farmhouse to raise the alarm.

The Summit Rescue Helicopter arrived at 3.20pm.

Mr Rzoska said he had a great appreciation for all the people who helped him, from those who stopped to the rescue and hospital staff.

While he was being loaded into the helicopter, one of the men that helped him went down to his net to see how his catch was going.

"It turns out, after five hours, there was quite a lot in there, so I let him have it to thank him."

Mr Rzoska's partner, Janet Holz, said he was "pretty tough", but the ordeal did not surprise her. "That leg has been giving him grief, but he is a pretty determined man and can keep a level head."

Mr Rzoska was not sure whether the drama would deter him from whitebaiting.

"I enjoy the straight-out challenge, looking at your catch at the end of the day and saying ‘I tried my best today and tomorrow is another day’."

www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/3022476/Small-fish-big-drama

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Whitebaiter recounts near-death experience

The Press | Tuesday, 10 November 2009

AN ELDERLY Canterbury whitebaiter admitted "things weren't looking good" as he was swept out to sea from the Rakaia River mouth.

Don Lorking, 74, was back at his Springston South home last night after being discharged from Christchurch Hospital following the Sunday evening drama that left him in cold seas for more than half an hour.

Westpac rescue helicopter crew feared Lorking was dead when they found him a kilometre offshore. His body temperature had dropped to 32.4 degrees Celsius — normal body temperature is 36.5°C.

In a statement issued through the Canterbury District Health Board yesterday, Lorking said he was fishing on the Rakaia River spit when he reached for his whitebaiting net and "a bigger than usual wave hit me from behind". "I fell forward, and would have been all right except the shingle was very loose and another wave hit me and I toppled in."

He tried to keep hold of his net to get his footing, but the river was too deep. He floated feet-first out to the river mouth.

"I tried to paddle myself back to the riverbank, but all that did was push cold water over my chest," he said.

Three big waves hit him as he reached the entrance to the sea, pushing water over his head and into his nose and mouth.

Rather than fight the current, Lorking managed to stay calm as he floated out to sea.

A lack of cellphone coverage meant fellow whitebaiters had to run to the Rakaia Huts to use a landline.

At Christchurch Hospital he was treated for hypothermia and fluid in his lungs, and was discharged yesterday afternoon.

He said his thighs were still extremely sore due to cramps.

Lorking said he owed his survival to his brightly coloured lifejacket, and the efforts of rescuers.

"I'd just like to thank everyone who helped me, and make a plea to improve cellphone coverage down at the river mouth," Lorking said.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/3046818/Whitebaiter-recounts-near-death-experience

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Call for tighter whitebaiting rules

Radio New Zealand News | Monday, 16 November 2009

THE West Coast Whitebaiters' Association wants the Government to tighten the rules on selling whitebait after an average season forced some to flout the law.

Association president Jim Bushby says anyone can catch and sell whitebait and some people are breaking the law by using more than one whitebait net at a time.

Mr Bushby says this has caused friction between fishers as Department of Conservation staff fail to police it.

The association is calling on the Government to only allow licensed commerical fishers to sell whitebait.

Mr Busby says it wants pot netters to be given a licence and issued with an identification tag which is put into the net.

"There'd be one man, one net. If DOC go down the river and they find nets without a licence tag, they should be able to confiscate them."

The association believes Department of Conservation staff should be better resourced with batons or pepper spray.

However, the department says it has not been scared off policing rivers for illegal whitebaiting.

South Westland area compliance manager Patrick Dennehy says staff patrolled the area more this season, with prosecutions up 30% on last year.

Mr Dennehy says offenders are usually good to deal with, and there is no need for extra security measures.

The whitebaiting season on the West Coast closed at the weekend.

www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/11/16/1245d3d6cefb

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DOC staff ‘need batons, pepper spray’

By GILES BROWN - The Press | Tuesday, 17 November 2009



A WEST COAST whitebaiters' group is calling for law changes to stop illegal and intimidating behaviour at fishing spots.

West Coast Whitebaiters Association president Jim Bushby also suggested Department of Conservation (DOC) staff carry "batons and pepper spray" for their own protection.

More people were selling their catch, which increased competition for the best positions and made the illegal use of multiple nets more likely, he said.

This had been a particular problem in south Westland this season.

The association had met Associate Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson in July to discuss its concerns.

One suggestion had been to only sell whitebait through licensed fish receivers.

"This would stop some pre-season fishing because [fish receivers] would be unwise to buy whitebait before the season started," Bushby said.

He also said whitebaiters should have to buy a licence, which would help to fund enforcement. There should also be a law against nets that trapped whitebait.

DOC staff should be able to search vehicles and property for illegal catches, Bushby said.

"We are looking for DOC to be better trained and resourced. We feel they need to carry batons and pepper spray for their own protection."

It had been an "average" season, which had added to the problems.

"People are trying to make a living out of it. When the going gets tough, they toughen up too," Bushby said.

DOC South Westland area compliance officer Pat Dennehy said there had been 15 equipment seizures in the region this season, and 30 incidents where prosecutions were being considered.

This was a 30 per cent increase on last year, but could be due to greater enforcement rather than increased poaching.

A staff member was threatened with a shovel while trying to confiscate a whitebaiter's equipment last week, but this was the only incident during the season.

"We've never felt our safety was threatened".

If vehicles or property needed to be searched, then DOC would call the police, Dennehy said.

However, the use of multiple "trap nets" was a "big problem".

A licensing system could also help ensure all whitebaiters knew the rules.

The association planned to send its suggestions to the minister. A spokesman for Wilkinson said the minister was monitoring the situation.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/west-coast/3068686/DOC-staff-need-batons-pepper-spray

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Down to crumbs

By GEOFF THOMAS - The New Zealand Herald | Thursday, 19 November 2009


'BAIT PATTIES: When you can count the individual
whitebait, the fritters need a little bulking up.
— Photo: GEOFF THOMAS/NZ Herald.

WENT whitebaiting the other day and got 18," said a friend from Christchurch.

"That's pretty good — 18 pounds!" They still measure whitebait catches in pounds, one of which is about half a kilo. "No, 18 whitebait."

Uh, oh. That's not so good. When you can count the individual fish it makes for a lean fritter. You need a lot of flour and extra eggs to make it work.

The basic recipe is sufficient beaten eggs to bind the little dudes together and that's all. Add a dash of seasoning, then pan-fry in oil and butter. Deliver a squirt of lemon juice and serve on slices of buttered bread if you have to make the fritters go further.

We had a handful swimming around in a plastic icecream container once while camping at Thornton, at the mouth of the Rangitaiki River, just north of Whakatane. It is one of the premier whitebaiting rivers in the Bay of Plenty. But never when we were there. Isn't it funny how you always hear of the big catches but not the days spent waiting, watching the white board for the telltale shadows to appear? It's a bit like backing the horses. You only hear about the wins.

Back to Thornton. The kids were excited at our dozen whitebait which looked very lonely.

That is until the family Labrador, Bonny, worked up a thirst and decided the fish bucket was her bowl. Fair enough, that's what she has at home. End of whitebait.

But 'bait fever is almost done for another year, and it has been slim pickings for much of the country.

Like the fever in gold prospecting, whitebaiting brings out a certain attitude in people. They are very protective about their spots, actually called stands, which can change hands for considerable sums, and canny when it comes to discussing catches. But like all big winners, it is hard to conceal the delight when the jackpot is struck.

The whitebaiting culture is contrary to all other fishing. Many people live on the riverside in cabins and baches and caravans for the whole season, and some make a reasonable income. The regulations are set and administered by the Department of Conservation, presumably because it involves native fish. But outside of the season and certain netting restrictions, it is wide open to amateur commercialism. There is no quota. Anybody can catch whitebait, and sell them on the side of the road. Of course there are legitimate buyers, but there is no limit on volumes and much of the trade involves cash, which must have the IRD thinking about the ramifications.

Theories abound for the lack of 'bait running this year. Some say the tides were not big enough to hatch the eggs, which displays a certain understanding of the biology involved. That in itself is unusual, for the life story of the little fish is unique. They don't run up the rivers to spawn, as is commonly argued. In fact, it is the reverse.

What we know as whitebait are the young of five members of the native galaxiid family — inanga (the most common), banded kokopu, koaro, giant kokopu and short-jawed kokopu. Smelt are often found with them and are the larger, silver, cucumber-smelling fish which aficionados discard.

Apart from smelt, the adults are secretive fish which are rarely seen and live in swamps and fast-flowing streams and rivers. But they need the natural habitat and the clearing of bush from catchments has contributed much to the demise of whitebait fisheries. This is why the South Island's West Coast is the premier whitebait region as much of the original bush and forest still remains.

The adult fish migrate downstream in autumn to lay their eggs on streamside grasses on a high tide and the eggs are exposed until the next spring tide a month later when they are inundated, hatch and are swept out to sea. The tiny hatchlings grow quickly in the rich marine environment where many are eaten by birds and other fish, then in late winter the juvenile fish migrate back up the rivers and streams as the whitebait we know so well.

Protection of the streamside habitat is important for the future of the unique little fish and landowners are encouraged to fence off river banks and keep stock out of the sensitive areas. Planting native bush around swamps and streams helps and many farmers are now aware of the value of such programmes.

In the Raglan area, the catchment of a popular whitebait stream has been fenced and replanted, with resulting increased runs of fish.

Of course, not everybody can catch their own whitebait and rely on fish shops where the price creeps higher every year, topping $180 a kilo in some outlets recently.

But buyer beware: whitebait is a generic term which is also applied to the young of various saltwater fishes, and whitebait imported from other countries and sold under the familiar name has no resemblance in taste or appearance to what is regarded as real whitebait. If unsure about the origin of the prospective dinner in the shop window, the price is the best indicator.

We learned a new recipe the other day in Mokau, home of whitebait on the North Island's west coast. Don't put flour in the mix; it goes gluggy. If you want to bulk it up a bit use a spoonful of breadcrumbs instead. I also like chopped parsley in my fritters, and from now on if I can count the whitebait in the bowl I will add some crumbs to the eggs.

Whitebait season

Fishing is permitted between 5am and 8pm, or 6am and 9pm when daylight saving applies.

The season runs from August 15 to November 30, except for the West Coast of the South Island where it is September 01 to November 14.

On the Chatham Islands, the season goes from December 01 to February 28.

www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10609815&pnum=0

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Whitebait

By REBEKAH LYELL - The Greymouth Star | Thursday, 19 November 2009


END OF SEASON: Whitebaiters' riverbank cleanup time!

THE Department of Conservation has urged whitebaiters to be “tidy Kiwis” and make sure they have cleaned up all their gear from West Coast rivers.

Community relations officer Ted Brennan said all rubbish should be promptly cleared away from the riverbanks.

“Following previous seasons a lot of rubbish and whitebaiting equipment has been left at the river, and we have had complaints from members of the public sick of seeing the mess that is left and the hazards it creates.”

After last season, one woman had a $500 veterinarian’s bill because her dog was injured on some of the rubbish left behind by whitebaiters, Mr Brennan said.

While many whitebaiters had done a “very good job” at cleaning up, others were dragging their feet.

After the mandatory period of 14 days from the end of the whitebait season, DOC would look at doing its own cleanup of public conservation land.

“Rubbish, shelters, sheds and platforms with stand-building material stored on them will be removed, and where the identities of the owners are known DOC will seek repayment of the costs of cleaning up from those people.”

www.greystar.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3836&Itemid=1

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A fine wait for whitebait at the Onoke Hilton

Wairarapa Times-Age | Thursday, 26 November 2009


WHITEBAITERS: Noel Preston, Nick Ives, Bruce Hannon,
Ken Fletcher and Mike Dixon at “The Oneke Hilton”
in South Wairarapa.

WITH pink bubbly, strawberries and a readily available supply of whitebait, it's easy to see why this group of mates call their quaint South Wairarapa lakeside commode "The Onoke Hilton".

Friends — Noel Preston, Nick Ives, Bruce Hannon, Ken Fletcher and Mike Dixon — this week spent their last day of whitebaiting for the season at their spot on the northern shore of Lake Onoke.

"On a fine day here it's absolute magic," Mr Preston said.

"They come in from the lake and lay their eggs in the wetland on the other side of us. With a bit of luck we catch them on their way through."

The group were happy enough with their haul of about 15 pounds or 6,800 grams of whitebait, although many of the fish at the late stage of the season were larger, more mature and eventually thrown back.

The season closes on Monday.

www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/a-fine-wait-for-whitebait-at-the-onoke-hilton/3906941

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Whitebait season closes after ‘bumper’ three months

By SONIA GERKEN in Gore - The Southland Times | Tuesday, 01 December 2009

THE WHITEBAIT SEASON closed yesterday and by all accounts it has been a bumper year in the south for the tiny delicacy.

Department of Conservation Southland compliance co-ordinator Kelwyn Osborn said whitebaiters had reported good numbers throughout the three-month season. There was anecdotal evidence it was the best season in five years, he said.

While numbers were evenly spread throughout the province, it was slightly better fishing on the eastern side of the region.

It was difficult to pinpoint any specific reason for the good run this year because many factors went in to making a good season.

"Some think the more water there is in the river, the better."

Mr Osborn said most whitebaiters had adhered to the rules, although there were always some who pushed the boundaries.

The department had taken prosecutions against 10 whitebaiters, which was on par with previous years, he said. DOC staff had also spoken with many whitebaiters, just reminding them of the rules.

Of most concern to the department were whitebaiters with multiple nets. Whitebait were a New Zealand delicacy and should be accessible to everyone, Mr Osborn said. "It's about being fair."

The department also took a dim view of whitebaiters who did not stay within the required 10m of their nets. "There has been a number that have been a considerable distance away."

Whitebaiting was, in essence, fishing, and whitebaiters should remain with their nets, Mr Osborn said.

www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/3112000/Whitebait-season-closes-after-bumper-three-months

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'BAIT SEASON AT WELLINGTON: Whitebaiters with their nets in the Hutt River near Woburn on Wednesday 28th October 2009.

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Whitebaiters seek change of rules after the season turns ugly

By PAUL EASTON - The Dominion Post | Monday, 07 December 2009

A WHITEBAITERS' GROUP is calling for tougher rules after a bad-tempered season in which prized spots were disputed and whitebaiters crowded each other.

"They're fishing on top of each other. If they had to be at least five metres apart, they would be much more staggered. You'd save a lot of squabbling," West Coast Whitebaiters Association president Jim Bushby said.

The main problem was with pot netters — whitebaiters with portable nets. "They can go anywhere."

Mr Bushby also called for a ban on traps in whitebait nets — cone-shaped devices that stop whitebait wriggling free once they are inside.

"Some nets have two or three of these things."

The association met Associate Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson in July to discuss its concerns.

"We haven't heard anything since," Mr Bushby said.

A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said she was "keeping an eye on the issue".

The West Coast whitebaiting season was average, with some good catches, Mr Bushby said.

One reported catch was 45 kilograms — worth an estimated $2700.

But the season on the West Coast was marred by reports of intimidation and threats over who got the best spots. "It happens every year."

He said pot netters should be licensed and issued with tags to ensure they used only one net.

Under regulations, only one net can be used at a time. It must not straddle more than a third of the width of a stream, and whitebaiters must stay within 10 metres of it.

Anyone caught breaking the rules can be fined up to $5000.

The whitebaiting season for most of New Zealand ran from August 15 'till November 30. On the West Coast it ran from September 01 'till November 14.

DOC Wairarapa biodiversity programme manager Bruce Vander Lee said whitebaiters had generally behaved well. "We've no major issues with people breaking the law."

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3130985/Whitebaiters-seek-change-of-rules-after-the-season-turns-ugly

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Tagging whitebait brings hope of bountiful outcome

By KIRAN CHUG - The Dominion Post | Thursday, 09 December 2009

SCIENTISTS about to embark on a two-year-long game of tag with a whitebait species hope their research will prevent its disappearance.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research is starting a first-time trial today that involves the introduction of 30 fish — all implanted with individual transponder tags - into Orewa's Nukumea Stream.

Freshwater fisheries scientist Paul Franklin said the giant kokopu, which in the juvenile stage made up part of the whitebait catch, had not been seen in the stream since 2002.

Their decline in that waterway was thought to have begun after a culvert was raised above water level, preventing young fish from entering the stream.

The culvert had been moved and scientists hoped the introduction of the fish would allow the species to repopulate the area, Dr Franklin said.

Each fish, which was about three years old and 20cm long, had been anaesthetised and implanted with a transponder tag about 23mm long.

At each end of a 200-metre section of the stream, two antenna had been erected to monitor the fish by picking up signals from their transponder tags.

As well as monitoring the fish with the antenna, scientists will visit the stream regularly to check up on them.

GIANT KOKOPU

One of five species of fish which, as juveniles, make up the whitebait catch.

Giant kokopu live to about 10 years old and grow to about 40 centimetres.

The fish breed in freshwater around autumn and females can spawn thousands of offspring depending on the conditions. After a few weeks their larvae drift out to sea, where they spend a couple of months before returning to rivers.

Whitebait are classified as "nationally vulnerable" by the Conservation Department. Loss of habitat is a significant cause of their decline.

The other four species are the banded kokopu, the short jaw kokopu, koaro and inanga.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3141307/Tagging-whitebait-brings-hope-of-bountiful-outcome

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Scientists count ‘tagged’ whitebait species
— a case of catch me if you can!

Scientists returned to the Nukumea Stream in Orewa last week,
to investigate the trial release of giant kôkopu. This is the first
controlled trial in New Zealand to test whether the native fish,
giant kôkopu, can be successfully stocked into a stream.

Press Release - NIWA | Monday, 29 March 2010


Giant Kôkopu: Galaxias argenteus. — Photo: Dave Tate/Mahurangi Technical Institute.

LAST week NIWA scientists carried out electric fishing and night time spotlight surveys, in the stream; capturing and measuring the fish and recording the locations that they were found in.

In December 2009, NIWA implanted thirty giant kôkopu with tiny transponder tags (PIT tags) and released them in the Nukumea Stream. Each tag has a unique ID, so that when the tagged fish pass by the antennae positioned in the stream, they can be identified. By tagging the fish the scientists are able to monitor how well they survive, and where they choose to live.

"The first follow up survey, using handheld PIT tag readers, was carried out in January. “We knew that some of the fish had left the study reach as they had been detected on our antennae, but we managed to locate 15 (out of 30) of the giant kôkopu, which was a pleasing result,” says NIWA Freshwater Fish Scientist, Dr Paul Franklin.

“Unfortunately, the recent follow-up survey failed to locate any of the giant kôkopu that were released into the Nukumea Stream in December, and had been found during previous follow-up surveys in January and February,” says Dr Franklin.

"It was expected that many of the giant kôkopu would eventually leave the pilot study reach, but it was hoped that a few would remain. It is thought that extremely low water levels in the river, caused by the recent lack of rain, may have restricted the amount of habitat available for the fish and contributed to the giant kôkopu no longer being present."

Many of the banded kôkopu, a different species of whitebait, that had been captured in the stream and marked during a previous baseline survey carried out in October, were still resident in the pilot study reach. This means that they were not displaced or out-competed by the giant kôkopu whilst they were in the reach and it also suggests that these fish may be more resilient to the low flow conditions within the stream.

NIWA will continue monitoring over the next few months as water levels increase again so that we can see if any of the giant kôkopu return to the reach, and to see how well the banded kôkopu continue to do.

Adult giant kôkopu breed in fresh water. Their larvae drift out to sea, and then return to rivers and streams as one of the species that make up ‘whitebait’. A major cause of their decline has been loss of habitat.

Scientists also think that the adult fish produce a chemical signal or ‘pheromone’ to tell whitebait which streams to return to.

Unfortunately, it is too early yet for the scientists to tell whether this pheromone production has occurred in the Nukumea Stream. The scientists will have a better idea next whitebait season.

The fish are monitored by NIWA and a team led by Dave Slaven, Ecology Team Leader Northern Gateway Alliance (NGA). The fish used for the trial were hatched and reared in tanks at Mahurangi Technical Institute from eggs originally collected from the Waitetuna River.

The NZ Transport Agency and its NGA partners undertook this project as part of the mitigation programme associated with the recent construction of the NZTA’s Northern Gateway Toll Road on SH1.

If the trial is successful, the NZTA and its NGA partners plan to release 500–1000 juvenile giant kôkopu into the stream at a future date to augment the declining population.

______________________________________

For more information contact:

Dr Paul Franklin
Freshwater Fisheries Scientist
Tel: + 64 7 8591 882

www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/news/featured/scientists-count-ataggeda-whitebait-species-a-a-case-of-catch-me-if-you-can!

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Plan for new whitebait habitat takes shape in Bay

By LYNDA BRENDISH - Bay of Plenty Times | Thursday, 10 June 2010

FINDING the main ingredient for a whitebait fritter could be about to get easier in the Bay.

A plan is on the cards to restore some of the delicacy's dwindling wetland home.

Jim Pringle, the project manager for what will eventually be known as Sanctuary Park in Pyes Pa, said too much wetland had been destroyed — only two per cent of the Bay's original wetland remains and whitebait had nowhere to breed when they returned from the ocean.

Mr Pringle's Sanctuary Park, which he hoped to open within five years, would stack the odds in the other direction by restoring a wetland area in the hopes of encouraging whitebait breeding.

Fisheries consultant Charles Mitchell, who advised on the earlier stages of Sanctuary Park, said the Kaituna River was a prime example of how severely depleted whitebait stocks had been.

Mr Mitchell said no provisions were made for whitebait access when drains were installed on the lower Kaituna and the floodplain turned into horticultural land.

"In 1984 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries surveyed the Kaituna and estimated a seasonal catch of just 60kg," Mr Mitchell said.

Mr Mitchell compared this with pre-World War II catches of about 20,000kg per season.

However, there was no need to feel guilty about indulging in whitebait fritters as over-fishing was not the problem, Mr Pringle said.

Mr Mitchell approved of efforts to preserve whitebait populations.

"They bring trace elements of nutrients back from the sea and feed on mosquitoes and midgies," he said.

The land for Sanctuary Park was bought by a local church, Lifezone, of which Mr Pringle is a member.

Katherine Bremner, assistant to Lifezone's senior pastor, said supporting the park fitted with the Bible's teachings to look after plants and animals.

The park would be operated through a trust separate from the church but Ms Bremner said congregation members would still contribute their time and ideas.

Sanctuary Park would not open to the public until it was converted from farmland.

Over the past three years, Mr Pringle had planted about 10,000 trees with the help of volunteers.

As well as the bush and wetland restoration, plans for the park include a cafeteria and centre offering community services, but Mr Pringle said that could still be 10 to 15 years off.

He hoped Sanctuary Park would eventually attract people "back to nature and creation".

www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/local/news/plan-for-new-whitebait-habitat-takes-shape-in-bay/3915546

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Whitebait early birds warned

Taranaki Daily News | Thursday, 01 July 2010

WHITEBAITERS desperate to miss the crowds will be prosecuted if they fish before the season officially opens.

The Conservation Department takes a dim view of people poaching whitebait before August 15, biodiversity manager Bryan Williams says.

Three people have already been caught at a popular spot on the Waitara River. "Keen whitebaiters tell us pretty quickly when they see the nets out early," Mr Williams said.

"These offenders were using a relative's net so he won't be too happy when the season rolls around."

He says whitebait are up against it. Young fish species follow a complicated breeding pattern while the habitat of adult fish is under threat.

"Regulations protect the fisheries and the legitimate whitebaiters who want to enjoy their fritters for many years to come," Mr Williams said.

Young native fish species make up most of the whitebait netted. They hatch and grow in autumn. In late winter they begin migrating back up streams and rivers to settle in bush-covered streams and swamps.

Adult fish tend to live in natural swamps and bush but the destruction of these habitats is a problem for the fishery.

Some whitebait, like the short jawed kokopu and koaro are quite rare.

Mr Williams says people offending against the whitebait regulations face a fine of up to $5000 and nets can be confiscated.

www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/3872481/Whitebait-early-birds-warned

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Take care when whitebaiting

Kaikoura Star | Wednesday, 11 August 2010


KEEN: Peter Dixon braves the waves at the Wairau
Diversion on his never ending quest whitebait.

AS THE whitebait fishing season gets underway this Sunday the Department of Conservation is calling on whitebaiters to take only what they need.

The limits will help sustain the fishery and enable good runs in future years.

The whitebait fishing season runs from August 15 to November 30 for most of New Zealand.

DOC Nelson/Marlborough freshwater specialist Martin Rutledge said whitebaiters could help sustain the whitebait fishery by letting some fish escape the nets so they can mature and breed.

Whitebait are the young of native fish, and sustainable management of fish populations is needed for whitebait to be plentiful in future years.

Four of the five main whitebait species are declining in abundance, including the most commonly-caught species inanga, he said.

Whitebaiters are reminded to check, clean and dry whitebaiting gear when moving between or up waterways to prevent the spread of didymo algae and other aquatic pests. This helps protect the whitebait fishery and precious freshwater environments.

DOC rangers will be patrolling waterways to check people are complying with the regulations, but anyone who sees people breaking the rules can call DOC on 0800362468.

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/kaikoura/4009271/Take-care-when-whitebaiting

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Red tape blocks whitebait protection

By JESSICA SUTTON and EMMA GOODWIN - Manawatu Standard | Friday, 13 August 2010

WHITEBAITING in Manawatu could be in jeopardy as the destruction of the delicacy's habitat pushes some fish stocks to endangered levels.

Experts are seeking a review of whitebaiting rules.

The Department of Conservation and researchers are concerned about the future of whitebait in Manawatu, but moves to tighten harvesting restrictions have been thwarted by a strong lobbying group from the West Coast.

Palmerston North's Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Stephen Robson said stocks were low because much of the native habitat of the fish had been destroyed or damaged.

"There is not the habitat there used to be, wetlands have been drained and without wetlands there are no fish," he said.

"Spawning habitats have also been degraded. Estuarine areas are not that good and that's where the eggs are laid."

Mr Robson said that although the whitebait season in Manawatu had nothing on the West Coast, even their whitebaiting enthusiasts had seen disappointing seasons.

"But the fish's natural habitats have not been modified as much down there."

Massey University water ecologist Amber McEwan said that the reason stronger rules had not been put in place to protect the species was because of pressure from the West Coast whitebait group.

"It makes sense for the current whitebait rules to be revisited to protect certain species but there is a lot of red tape in the way," she said.

"There is a current jurisdictional review being played out but it has been going on for several years without much headway."

Current whitebait regulations do not prevent commercial exploitation of this food resource, Miss McEwan said.

The rules surrounding whitebaiting include only using one net, using a net that is no wider than a third of the width of the water way, being within 10 metres of the net and not fishing at night.

Mr Robson said that to protect future seasons, whitebaiters should put back other fish they catch.

www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/4020686/Red-tape-blocks-whitebait-protection

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Whitebaiters ready for action

By PAUL O'ROURKE - The Timaru Herald | Saturday, 14 August 2010


DON'T FORGET YOUR HAT: Bev McConnochie,
of Timaru, knows only too well the routine of
her husband, Colin, at this time of the year.

NETS, buckets, waders — they'll all be checked and made ready by keen whitebaiters today, with the season opening tomorrow.

But there is likely to be little joy for local whitebaiters with the Opihi and Orari rivers running high and two-metre coastal swells predicted. Yesterday afternoon the Orari River was carrying a flow of 140 cubic metres per second while the Opihi River was at 106 cumecs.

Colin McConnochie, of Timaru, is one man who will be out for a look at Smithfield Lagoon tomorrow, but he does not have high hopes because of high water levels in the lagoon. Traditionally there is a slow start to the season on South Canterbury rivers, with better catches later in September.

Mr McConnochie, who is semi-retired, said he would average around 30 kilograms of whitebait each season from Smithfield, much of which he gave to family and friends. He had kept records over the years and had noticed a decline in catches.

While the season opens tomorrow and closes on November 30 on the east coast, the season for the West Coast, popular with many Timaru whitebaiters, does not open until September 01 and closes earlier on November 14.

Early catches are expected to sell at around $90-plus a kilo, with prices falling below $50 as supplies pick up.

Raukapuka Department of Conservation staff will monitor whitebaiting spots to ensure regulations are not flouted, especially fishing at night outside permitted hours. People caught breaching regulations may be fined up to $5000.

www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/4024294/Whitebaiters-ready-for-action

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Whitebaiters to watch rules

By SHAHRA WALSH - The Press | Sunday, 15 August 2010


WHITEBAITING: Doug Bateman whitebaiting
on the Avon River near Kerrs Reach.

THE Department of Conservation is urging people to remember the rules before wading into the 2010 whitebaiting season.

The official whitebaiting season starts today — Sunday August 15 — and runs through to November 30.

Department of Conservation ranger Tony Woods said people need to remember the regulations.

"Whitebait are native fish and, if people want to be able to fish for them in the future, we encourage them to only take as much as they need for a feed," Woods said.

The rules were in place to ensure some of the silver delicacy survived to go on and spawn another generation of fish.

Whitebaiters may only fish between the daylight hours of 5am and 8pm (or 6am and 9pm during daylight saving).

Each person may only fish with one net at a time and must remain within 10 metres of the net.

The combined length of net and go-by must not exceed six metres, or be more than a third of the width of the waterway.

It is not permitted to fish for whitebait within 20 metres of any floodgate, culvert or confluence (where two waterways meet).

Whitebaiters are also asked to check, clean and dry their gear between waterways to prevent the spread of invasive didymo and other water weeds.

"We are hoping it's going to be a good season for whitebait and whitebaiters," Woods said.

He warned that anyone caught breaking the rules could be prosecuted.

"There were successful prosecutions as a result of whitebaiting patrols last year. Those caught fishing illegally were fined and had to pay court costs; their fishing equipment was also forfeited".

• For more information see: DOC.govt.nz/Whitebaiting.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4025388/Whitebaiters-to-watch-rules

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Whitebaiters not put off by dismal start to season

By KIRAN CHUG - The Dominion Post | Monday, 16 August 2010


GOOD KEEN MEN: Kevin Lyttle from Lower Hutt was on the Hutt River with his whitebaiting net ready
at 7.30am yesterday, but went home empty-handed. — PHIL REID/The Dominion Post.

BROTHERS Kevin and James Lyttle will not let a dismal start to this year's whitebaiting season deter them from returning to the Hutt River this week.

The season opened yesterday, amid concerns the destruction of the delicacy's habitat was pushing stocks into decline.

James Lyttle, 49, spent four hours on the river, finally calling it a day with a catch of nine. Kevin Lyttle, 62, went home empty- handed but the pair said it was too early in the season to worry, and their luck would improve.

However, James Lyttle said constant development around the river was pushing whitebait stocks down.

"There's nowhere [for them] to breed or feed off. Everything has been dug up and it hasn't been the same."

He had been returning to a "secret spot" for six years, and his brother had been whitebaiting there for many years before that.

The Lyttle brothers began the season with about six other hopeful whitebaiters north of the Ewen Bridge yesterday, but the others also went home empty-handed, giving up after about an hour.

Recent rain had made the river muddy and swollen, Mr Lyttle said.

In Manawatu, researchers were also concerned about the future of whitebait.

Stephen Robson, a Conservation Department biodiversity ranger in Palmerston North, said stocks were low because much of the native habitat of the fish had been destroyed or damaged.

Massey University water ecologist Amber McEwan said the reason stronger rules had not been put in place to protect the species was because of pressure from whitebaiters.

She wanted whitebaiting rules to be revisited, saying present regulations did not prevent commercial exploitation of whitebait.

However, DOC spokesman Reuben Williams said research showed that, although stocks were in decline in some areas, in other places numbers were increasing.

"When we look at the big picture the fishery is stable enough, but we are looking at why it is fluctuating."

The biggest threat to whitebait was the loss of its natural habitat and spawning areas, but numbers could also fluctuate because of weather and currents, he said.

DOC ranger Jamie Quirk said water removal, wetland drainage and destruction of vegetation by streams threatened the long-term survival of whitebait, but regulations to protect the fishery were in place.

They included requirements to use only one net at a time, to stay within 10 metres of the net, and keeping the net to under a third of the water channel's width.

The whitebait season runs until November 30, except on the West Coast, where the season is open from September 01 to November 14.

Whitebaiters caught breaking the rules can be fined up to $5000.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/4026512/Whitebaiters-not-put-off

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Whitebaiting season gets off to quiet start on Waiau River

By SHIRLEY WHYTE in Tuatapere - The Southland Times | Monday, 16 August 2010


ALL SET: Michael Halder checks his net on the Aparima River in Western Southland yesterday with
his daughters Natalie, 9, and Bree, 4. The Invercargill family took up their usual spot on the river
for the start of the whitebaiting season yesterday. — ROBYN EDIE/The Southland Times.

THE 2010 whitebaiting season got off to a quiet start on the Waiau River yesterday with plenty of recreational fishermen trying to catch the delicacy.

Southland Amateur Whitebait Association member and Te Wae Wae farmer Ian McCracken said small amounts of whitebait had been seen in the Waiau River before the season started, but the river was high and dirty for yesterday's opening so he did not expect great catches initially.

"We are looking forward to a good season and we just have to be patient and watch how the rest of the season unfolds."

The south had experienced a relatively dry winter season and the juvenile bait need floods to wash out to sea so they could return to swim up the rivers.

"We will wait with bated breath for the river to clean up so, hopefully, the bait can run," Mr McCracken said.

First-day whitebaiter Cliff Beer, of Opio, said he has been fishing on the Waiau River for 12 years and had caught enough whitebait to "scare an egg".

"Today's catch was beautiful, lively bait, which is an indication that the bait has come into the river on the last tide. However, the success of the season will depend on the Waiau River mouth stay-ing opened and not being clogged up with gravel," Mr Beer said.

Constable Damon Templeton, of Tuatapere, said the Department of Conservation set the rules of whitebaiting, but police were able to enforce compliance of them.

"Historically, we have had issues on the Waiau River that include intimidation and assaults when people are jostling for the best fishing spots," Mr Templeton said.

"These are commonly linked with the abuse of alcohol, and police will be taking a zero tolerance to this."

Whitebaiting was a recreational sport and there was no reason for assaults or standover tactics.

"The river should be a family-friendly zone and with the community's help there is no reason this shouldn't be the case," he said.

Another concern was the potential for drownings at the river.

"We have been lucky in the past few years that we've had no drowning incidents," Mr Templeton said.

"However ... it may just be a matter of time. At the end of the day, whitebaiting is just to get a feed and it's not worth your life."

www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4026703/Whitebaiting-season-gets-off-to-quiet-start-on-Waiau-River

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Quiet start to whitebait season

By MICHAEL BERRY - The Marlborough Express | Monday, 16 August 2010


TRADITIONAL: Whitebaiter Adrian Withers of
Spring Creek had luck scoop netting at Wairau
Bar. — MICHAEL BERRY/The Marlborough Express.

WHITEBAITERS who managed to get out of bed in Marlborough yesterday had mixed results on a cold and overcast first day of the season.

Regie Clist, of Picton, was at the Wairau Diversion by 4.30am.

"I thought we'd get there early to get a good spot and then there's no-one here except one guy who went home early," Mr Clist said.

It was a surprise to see so few people at the usually busy spot, but it was their loss, he said.

"At the end of the day if you're not here you're not going to catch anything."

He had caught about 50 whitebait with his set net, which was more than opening day last year, he said.

The season could be a good one, but he was due for surgery today and might be out of action for most of the season. "It gives the 'bait a bit of a chance, I suppose, with one less person down here."

There was more action at the Wairau Bar where about 10 people took to the surf with scoop nets and waders.

Adrian Withers, of Spring Creek, defied the bitter southerly as he scooped up a decent feed.

"It's nice to be out, it's tradition on the opening day," Mr Withers said.

Perseverance was key to 'baiting, he said.

"Just when you think you've got it all worked out it changes."

Luke O'Hagan of Blenheim had a good run with his scoop net, coming away with about 1.5 kilograms.

Experience, knowing what the water was doing and where to put your net counted most toward a good catch, Mr O'Hagan said.

He was looking forward to sampling his catch: "The first whitebait pattie of the season is pretty good, you hang out for it." Herb Maddock of Blenheim had a set net near the mouth of the Wairau River.

The 75-year-old preferred to let the fish come to him after 60 years of fishing. Whitebaiting was all about the tides and the level of the river, and luck, Mr Maddock said.

"Anyone who says they're an expert at whitebaiting you tend to look at them sideways."

He had a slow day, but August was not usually the best time, he said.

The whitebait season ends on November 30.

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/4028169/Quiet-start-to-whitebait-season

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Just enough for dinner

By DAVID LOUGHREY - Otago Daily Times | Monday, 16 August 2010


SEASON “OPENING DAY” CATCH: Taine Clinch with enough whitebait
for a meal of whitebait patties. — CRAIG BAXTER/Otago Daily Times.

THE RIVER was dirty and the weather was cold, but for Trevor Carr and his grandson Taine Clinch (11) an afternoon of whitebaiting yesterday paid off with enough of the tiny fish for a meal of whitebait patties.

"I've had a lot of luck up here," Mr Carr said of his spot on the bank of the Waikouaiti River, on the first day of whitebaiting season.

That river was about the only place in Otago where whitebaiting would have brought much joy, Department of Conservation ranger Pete Ravenscroft said, with the Taieri, Clutha and other rivers dirty from recent rain.

The fish had been seen in some abundance, though, both in the bellies of trout caught in the past few weeks and in shoals in the Clutha, and the season was expected to be good once river waters cleared.

www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/120881/just-enough-dinner

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Season opens for keen whitebaiters

By RANDALL JOHNSTON - The Oamaru Mail | Monday, 16 August 2010

THE EAST COAST whitebait season officially started yesterday, fanciers anticipating what some say could be one of the best seasons in years.

Martyn's Cycles owner Dave Martyn said rain had flushed out the Kakanui and Waitaki Rivers, which could be a good thing for baiters.

"There are two factors."

"The rivers have been cleared with the rain and there's a good flow of water."

"But the water might still be a little cold."

"The rivers have had a low flow over the last couple of years so we are hoping for a good season," he said.

Some east coasters were making preparations for their whitebaiting trips to the West Coast, the season on that side of the island starting on September 01.

"A number of locals have been in to upgrade their gear and to buy netting and other little bits and pieces that they need."

"Although the season starts in August the catch is generally better once it's warmed up a bit," Mr Martyn said.

The Kakanui River mouth was a popular spot.

However, those who tried their luck at the Waitaki River stood a chance of netting bigger catches.

The Kakanui River was probably more suitable for retired people and those who were just starting out, he said.

www.oamarumail.co.nz/local/news/season-opens-for-keen-whitebaiters/3919370

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Whitebait set to be ‘gold plated’

By MATT RILKOFF - Taranaki Daily News | Tuesday, 17 August 2010

THE MUCH-AWAITED whitebait season has got off to a languid start in Taranaki in its first two days.

Though large numbers of the juvenile galaxiids were spotted by Mokau whitebaiters preparing their stands last week, few have been caught since Sunday when the 107-day season kicked off.

Not that there was a lack of people trying with the retail price for the little fish expected to reach $140 per kilo this season according to Shrandeel Chandra of Mokau's River Run Cafe.

"The negotiations for whitebait have already started and some of them are looking to get up to $80 a kilo from us this year. That's a bit much but they will probably hit $140 a kilo retail. Looks like they are going to be gold-plated this year," he said.

If that was the case New Plymouth fishermen on the Waiwhakaiho River had much more than the handful of translucent fish in their buckets would suggest.

Taking advantage of the new Te Rewa Rewa bridge to get to his regular spot Ray Chard employed a scoop net to catch his dinner. With some success too.

"You've got to have them in batter, no flour, just egg. That's the only way to eat them," he said.

Most whitebaiters agree as does New Zealand's queen of home cooking Alison Holst who includes a recipe for whitebait fritters in popular recipe book Kiwi Favourites.

For Tracy Skelton of New Plymouth, whitebaiting is a way to relax and get out with Rupert, his big pawed Airedale.

"I've only been here for a couple of hours and I came down on Sunday just to check it out. I've got more that I thought I would," he said yesterday.

Mr Skelton was unable to say how many fritters worth he may have caught, admitting he did the catching but his wife did the cooking.

www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/4030208/Whitebait-set-to-be-gold-plated

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Whitebait few and far between

By JESSICA SUTTON - Manawatu Standard | Tuesday, 17 August 2010


TRYING HIS LUCK: Foxton Beach was swarming with whitebaiters for day two
of the season yesterday. Among them were Ray Living, who is pictured
checking his net. — WARWICK SMITH/Manawatu Standard.

MORE THAN 15 nets were dotted through Foxton Beach's Whitebait Creek yesterday for day two of the whitebaiting season.

But the keen whitebaiters weren't having much luck.

The Department of Conservation and researchers are concerned about the future of whitebait in Manawatu because its habitat is being destroyed or damaged.

Palmerston North's Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Stephen Robson said wetlands had been drained, and without wetlands there are no fish.

"Spawning habitats have also been degraded. Estuarine areas are not that good and that's where the eggs are laid."

Ashhurst's Ray and Barbara Living have been whitebaiting for seven years.

Mrs Living said Sunday was the best season opening they've had in a long time.

"But today's a different story. We've been here since 4.30 this morning, as the day starts at 5am, and we'll be lucky to get 100 grams," she said.

"Whitebait is getting less and less every year and we've definitely noticed the lack of stock."

Mr Living said a way of gauging whether whitebaiters are the reason stocks are low, would be to restrict whitebaiting for a season.

He said the problem could also be caused by the few people who fished all year around.

"There are some people who fish out of season and that means the whitebait don't have time to breed," he said.

A Foxton Beach resident, who did not wish to be named, said the lack of breeding grounds was the reason why whitebait stock was low.

"The wetlands have been drained and there aren't any swamps any more. By restricting whitebaiting for a season it wouldn't make any difference as the breeding grounds just aren't like they used to be," he said.

Another whitebaiter said his sister had been whitebaiting for years and the best season she can remember was 40 years ago.

A review of whitebaiting is being sought.

www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/4031697/Whitebait-few-and-far-between

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Waiting game for whitebait lovers

By ROGER MORONEY - Hawke's Bay Today | Friday, 20 August 2010


HARDCORE WHITEBAITER: Clive Pinker of Havelock
North on the opening day of the 2010 whitebait
season. — Photo Hawke's Bay Today.

FOR veteran Bay whitebaiters such as Clive Pinker of Havelock North the start of the whitebaiting season was a mixed bag.

On his second day out it was a case of "water water everywhere but not a fish in sight".

Heavy rain in the high country in the past week clouded the usually clear waters of the region's rivers, although it wasn't so much the murkiness — more the water flow.

"Opening day I did okay," Mr Pinker said, adding that he managed to put together "a good feed" for a special occasion.

"It was our 40th wedding anniversary ... and I went fishing."

Not that Mrs Pinker minded too much as they'd had a pretty good family day at Waimarama the day before.

"You don't get what you used to here any more," he said. "Last year was terrible, but this season I reckon it could be pretty good."

He told of a mate who scooped up half a kilogram of the elusive delicacy on Sunday, and reckoned it was just good old perseverance, and knowing where and when to put the net.

Mr Pinker said he welcomed the Department of Conservation's strict rules and measures, regarding net sizes, to ensure the whitebait numbers were not put under stress.

A DOC spokesman said officers would be patrolling popular fishing areas to check on whitebaiters to make sure they were following the rules.

The season runs through until November 30.

While yesterday wasn't flash for keen blokes like Mr Pinker, he reckons it'll come right, and expects the pan to sizzle nicely on more than a few occasions.

So what's his recipe?

"A bit of flour, an egg, a bit of baking powder, little bit of milk ... and heaps of whitebait," he said.

www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/waiting-game-for-whitebait-lovers/3919680

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Whitebait the only winners for now

By DON FARMER - Wairarapa Times-Age | Saturday, 21 August 2010



WHITEBAITING in Wairarapa has got away to a slow start, for an excellent reason.

Although the season opened five days ago, the weather has conspired to make sure not much bait will be made into patties this week.

Southerly squalls and intermittent heavy rain throughout the wider region has made life difficult for the handful of whitebaiters who have so far ventured out in search of the delicacy.

At Lake Ferry, Wairarapa's most popular whitebaiting spot, a biting-cold southerly coming in horizontally kept whitebaiters off the lake shore for most of the time on the opening four days, although one set-net fisherman reported catching the grand total of nine whitebait on Wednesday before giving in to the conditions and retreating to the warmth of his cottage.

Despite the disappointing weather, which also led to Lake Onoke being brim-full and dirty, the outlook is starting to appear a lot brighter.

The mouth to the sea is open and no lack of whitebaiters is waiting to get going, nets at the ready.

Further round the Wairarapa coast, at spots such as Whareama, the season has, likewise, started slowly with no catches of any magnitude being reported.

The whitebait season runs until November 30 and is policed by Department of Conservation rangers.

Although a licence to fish is not required — unlike the pursuit of freshwater fish such as trout and perch — rules are strictly enforced and fishermen have an obligation to acquaint themselves with the regulations or risk prosecution.

www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/whitebait-the-only-winners-for-now/3919905

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'Baiters behaving but 'bait a bit bashful

By SCOT MacKAY - The Southland Times | Wednesday, 25 August 2010


'BAIT FISHING: So far the whitbait are scarce this season.

THE behaviour of whitebaiters in Southland appears to have been good since the season started, but the catch rate has been low.

Department of Conservation Southland compliance co-ordinator Kelwyn Osborn said since the season began last week some frustrations had been caused on riversides when nets were placed close together. But, in general, fishermen had been well behaved, he said.

Historically, there have been acts of intimidation and even assault during the season when people tried to secure the best fishing spots, but whitebaiters spoken to said the season had been relaxed since it opened.

Whitebaiter Harvey Boylan, who was fishing at the Waihopai River in Invercargill, said he had heard of a dispute about the position of nets on the Titiroa River last week, but most whitebaiters were respectful of people's fishing spots, and that prevented trouble.

However, the amount of whitebait caught this season had been low, he said.

"It has not been very good."

At lunchtime on Monday, with the approaching high tide, Mr Boylan had caught only one whitebait, but he expected the catch rate to increase next month up to 4kg a day.

Whitebaiter Ian Walker, who was fishing the same spot, said his day had been "very very slow".

The early part of the season was always slow and he also expected it to pick up next month, but he was happy "as long as there is enough for breakfast", he said.

www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4058076/Baiters-behaving-but-bait-a-bit-bashful

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Whitebaiters champing at the bit

By JANNA SHERMAN - The Greymouth Star | Wednesday, 25 August 2010


RARING TO GO: The West Coast 2010 whitebait season begins next Wednesday.

WITH less than a week until the opening of the West Coast whitebait season the Hokitika River is again a hive of activity as fishermen work to build and complete their stands.

Murray Fleming, who fishes the north bank, said with last season his worst in four years of fishing out of Hokitika, he was optimistic for a better season.

Others had a bumper season on the Hokitika with big runs over only a couple of days.

Rumours have already begun to circulate of big shoal sightings, and the temptation has been too much for some South Westland whitebaiters who were unable to wait and had their nets seized by the Department of Conservation earlier in the month.

The early fishing penalty comes as DOC promises to crackdown on its policing of the West Coast Whitebait Fishing Regulations this season.

DOC Hokitika area manager Ian McClure said his staff would be keeping a close eye on pre and post-season fishing, fishing in closed areas, setting or using more than one net, and ensuring the removal of fishing gear at the end of the day.

“We will be asking people to remove their fishing gear after the day’s fishing. This includes nets, poles etc that may be used to brace nets and screens and spotters.”

DOC has also warned fishermen, especially in South Westland, to get up to speed with the regulations around unlicensed whitebait huts.

South Westland area manager Jo Macpherson said any dwelling, such as river huts, were not permitted on DOC land.

“Now that our Conservation Management Strategy is finalised we have a clear policy relating to baches in particular. As a result we will be following up with removal of any structures which are unlicensed. Our particular focus this coming season will be around the Waiatoto, Cascade and the surfers camps at the mouth of the Ohinemaka (Black River).”

Hokitika ranger Inger Perkins said regulations were there for the good of whitebaiters, supporting the continued availability of the West Coast delicacy for future years and future generations.

Tempers flared last year over DOC’s enforcement, particularly at Southside, Hokitika. Whitebaiters were warned after erecting structures, cutting down vegetation and rolling rocks from the floodwall into the river to hold down their spotter boards.

Others were warned to behave by the police, who received a number of complaints about intimidation and threats.

Sergeant Russell Glue, of Hokitika police, said yesterday his officers would again be out on the river banks this season.

The Metservice is predicting rain or showers for Westland right up until open day, on September 01.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/387

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Illegal whitebaiters could be netting $70k a year

By SCOT MacKAY - The Southland Times | Saturday, 28 August 20100


SEIZED CONTRABAND: DOC ranger Kelwyn Osborn examines
forfeited whitebait nets that will go up for auction.
— JOHN HAWKINS/The Southland Times.

AUTHORITIES are targeting illegal whitebaiters in Western Southland who are thought to be making up to $70,000 a year in undeclared cash sales.

Police and the Department of Conservation have begun covert operations in the area looking at illegal fishing while the Inland Revenue Department also has the illegal trade in its sights.

Constable Steve Winsloe, of Tuatapere, said he had heard reports of whitebaiters living off benefits and earning between $50,000 and $70,000 in cash sales of the delicacy every year.

"They are making a living out of whitebaiting — many are on unemployment benefits with all sales in cash," he said.

His view was made evident during a combined night operation between police and the Department of Conservation (DOC) on Thursday where illegal whitebaiters at the mouth of the Waiau River were targeted.

Department Southland compliance co-ordinator Kelwyn Osborn said he was aware of the illegal nature of the whitebait trading, but the operation was carried out for the protection of the species.

The department was targeting people fishing outside of regulation hours and using non-regulation-sized nets, which carried a maximum fine of $5000, he said.

The department had been doing active patrols during the day and night based on public intelligence for several years, and the Waiau River was a common spot for people breaking the regulations, Mr Osborn said.

The lucrative nature of the whitebait trade meant many people also protected their fishing spot and that sometimes led to conflict, which was why the police presence was required, he said.

"The Waiau has traditionally been a spot where whitebaiters have sort of looked to secure their own position — they keep it for their families and push out others by intimidation," he said.

______________________________________

THE RULES

• Whitebait season is open between August 15 and November 30 throughout New Zealand, except the West Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Islands.

• Fishing is permitted only between 5am and 8pm or between 6am and 9pm when New Zealand Daylight Saving is observed.

• No fishing gear should exceed more than one-third of the water channel width, be used in conjunction with another person's gear to exceed more than one-third of the channel, or exceed 6m in total length.

• Nets must have a mouth no larger than 4.5m and framing material no wider than 120mm.

• No person shall set or use more than one whitebait net at a time and every person must remain within 10m of the net.

• Fishing gear must be removed from the water at the end of fishing or the end of the day.

• Persons offending against these regulations may be fined up to $5000.

www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4070994/Illegal-whitebaiters-could-be-netting-70k-a-year

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Fishing: Liquid Gold

Whitebait live a perilous life well before meeting the nets.

By GEOFF THOMAS - HERALD on SUNDAY | Sunday, 29 August 2010


TINY DELICACY: Most whitebait end their lives in fritters. — Photo: Geoff Thomas.

IT WAS just a shadow passing across the blurred white line under the water. Then another thin shadow appeared, and another, then a mass of tiny, wriggling fish.

The man grasped the long handle of his net and steadily scooped up the small school of fish before swinging the net on to the mud and grass, shaking the mesh to ensure none of the tiny fish stuck to the steep sides. There, at the bottom of the long net, was a dense greenish mass of shimmering whitebait.

He always felt a thrill when he saw the catch secure in the net.

He knew how a prospector must feel when he struck gold after years of searching - to him, the whitebait were like liquid gold.

This weekend, lovers of the delicate fish will sit on riverbanks throughout the country, eyes glued to the water, hoping to spot the moving shadows.

The whitebait season opened two weeks ago and runs until the end of November.

The exception is on the West Coast of the South Island, where the season starts on Wednesday and closes on November 14.

This is to allow enough of the migrating fish to pass upstream to replenish the population, for the West Coast is the remaining bastion of large runs of whitebait.

There are rules covering the length of nets and how much of a river's flow may be fished from 5am and 8pm (6am to 9pm under daylight saving). Theories abound as to the best tides and moon phases for sparking runs of bait, but all agree that the days when catches filled kerosene tins and unwanted fish were buried in gardens as fertiliser are long gone.

The precious little fish now fetch close to $200 a kilo in Auckland and, like Bluff oysters, the first fresh bait of the season are eagerly awaited.

Clues as to their origins can be seen on rural road signs marking streams, and the name Kaikokopu Stream can be found in the Bay of Plenty. Kai suggests food and kokopu is the name for the adult whitebait, which belong to the galaxaiid family of freshwater fishes found throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The adults are secretive creatures, living in dark, bush-clad pools. Four members of the family make up the most highly sought whitebait - banded kokopu, giant kokopu, dwarf kokopu and short-jawed kokopu.

A cousin, the koaro, is also involved, as is the inanga. Kokopu require clean mountain streams and do not adapt readily to habitat changes, so have disappeared from much of the country.

The banded kokopu can still be found in many streams and lakes in the North Island. The hardy inanga can tolerate water which carries sediment and effluent, and 80 per cent of the whitebait caught in rivers which run through farming country, such as the Waikato River, are inanga. In autumn, the adults migrate downstream to rivermouths and lay their eggs on reeds and grasses covered by the highest tides.

They remain exposed until a month later when the next highest tide covers the eggs, which then hatch and the millions of tiny larval fish are swept out to sea.

It is a hazardous existence and many fall prey to predators. The survivors grow in the plankton-rich environment and in the spring migrate back up the rivers and streams as whitebait.

The strong currents in the middle of the rivers force them close to the banks, where anglers await with mesh traps and long-handled nets.

But it is not just predators and fishing causing whitebait runs to diminish. Grazing cows destroy the eggs, floods can sweep the fish out to sea, and as trees are stripped from the hills the once-strong banks of the dark pools scour and muddy.

Whitebaiters still boast of record catches occasionally, but most are content to turn their catch into fritters patterned with individual white fish and dark eyes.

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10669302

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Editorial: Be delicate with this delicacy

The Southland Times | Monday, 30 August 2010

WHITEBAITING should be about feeds not feuds, contemplation not intimidation, and such lies as might be told should be little white ones of the "should've been here Thursday" variety, not the sort that has the taxman joining police and Conservation Department on the lookout for you.

The authorities have been targeting illegal whitebaiters in Western Southland, some of whom have, they say, been raking up up to $70,000 a year in undeclared cash sales.

The seasonality and comparative scarcity of whitebait has kept the price of it high enough that commercial temptations may arise. But it's a dirty thing to indulge in money-making agendas in the manner that would bring officialdom down on your head, because it weakens a fishery that is already hardly robust.

If that weren't bad enough on its own — and it is — there's also the small matter of ripping off the taxpayer. Constable Steve Winsloe, of Tuatapere, talks of reports of whitebaiters claiming the dole while earning good undeclared incomes off the delicacy ever year.

Inland Revenue has clearly pricked its ears up at the practice and is openly targeting this as an area of low compliance and tax evasion.

Done right, whitebaiting is a sheer joy; with long periods of restful contemplation or quiet conviviality, then those oh-so-brief periods of ardent excitement. Or not. As one 'baiter said in an interview a couple of years back, it's a pursuit for wishful thinkers.

It shouldn't take wishful thinking, however, for matters of river etiquette and old-fashioned neighbourliness to apply.

For several years now reports have been coming through of acts of intimidation and even assault, some of which is alcohol-fuelled.

There's no getting around it that in too many cases, things are getting just a bit too predatory on the riverbanks, not just as 'baiters try to keep one another honest, but as efforts to secure the best fishing spots take unhappy twists.

A few days back one correspondent to this page told unhappily of conflict at the Titiroa Locks and clearly the Waiau has become a site of conflict at places and at times, with jostling for the best spots becoming unseemly.

That's no good. One of the many things a riverside should be is a family-friendly zone.

Habitat issues also intrude. Last season was a pretty good one (those teasing headshaking denials from most whitebaiters on most days notwithstanding) but catches had been low for several years before that.

Even given the cyclical nature of things, there's every reason to believe that water removal, pollution, wetland drainage, introduced pests and the destruction of stream-side vegetation have been assailing the sustainability of this traditional pastime.

For many reasons, then, this is a time for best behaviour from all concerned. Ambitions should be kept modest, and certainly free from the uglinesses and dishonesties that tend to result from commercial avarice.

It is one thing for people to be appearing in court, as they have, to face that charge of being more than 10m away from their nets, or using nets that are more capacious than the law permits.

But given the level of unhappiness — social as well as official — at more nakedly nasty behaviour, this really wouldn't be a good time to get yourself in front of a judge because you have been behaving like a swaggering jerk, or taking in money hand over fist at the expense of a fishery we really need to be looking after.

www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/opinion/4073349/Editorial-Be-delicate-with-this-delicacy

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Good signs for whitebait season

By LAURA MILLS - The Greymouth Star | Tuesday, 31 August 2010


GETTING READY: Preparing whitebait stands for the 2010 Whitebait
season on the Taramakau River.

SOME good-sized shoals of whitebait have been spotted in southern rivers, raising hopes of a strong start to the West Coast whitebaiting season tomorrow.

The West Coast Whitebaiters’ Association says the annual migration of fishermen to the river banks is well under way. The roads are full of caravans, campers, and motorhomes, many lugging nets, screens and four-wheel-drive bikes.

Department of Conservation staff have also been out and about — seizing five nets for illegal fishing before the season.

Fox Glacier area compliance officer Patrick Dennehy said whitebait had been about since July on the Waiatoto River.

“We’ve already recovered five nets on the Waiatoto. There’s always a bit of pre-season fishing and it’s hard to say whether it’s commercial. It’s about the same as other years, but we’ve more (staff) out there and have picked up a few more people.”

Franz Josef Glacier area officer Jim Livingstone found all was well and quiet on the Wanganui and Poerua rivers during two pre-season patrols in the Harihari area. However, there had been no 'bait sightings there.

But in Greymouth, DOC officer Brad Edwards reported seeing some good pre-season runs.

Whitebait association president Des McEnaney said he had heard good reports from South Westland rivers, and a “few” had been seen in the Hokitika River.

“Whether it means it will be a good season, I really don’t know.”

However, he emphasised there would be zero tolerance for intimidating and threatening behaviour this season.

There is one good omen for tomorrow, though — the forecast is for sunshine.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/402

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Fears for future of whitebait

ONE News - TVNZ | Tuesday, 31 August 2010



THE first day of spring marks the opening of the whitebait season on the South Island's West Coast and there's some concern among locals about the long-term management of the tiny delicacy.

The concern is due to over-fishing of the fish and not enough spawning grounds for them.

Des McEnaney of the West Coast Whitebaiters Association said West Coasters are hooked on whitebait but something will need to be done, and fast, to stop the whitebait extinction.

"There are clear signs over a couple of generations that the amount of fish is drying up," said McEnaney.

The issue of whitebait is something that Canterbury University's Mike Hickford is studying.

Normally, he said, the fish lay their eggs in vegetation along the riverbank, but suprisingly hay bales are proving a suitable alternative.

Hickford said rivers like the Buller will probably never be suitable for spawning and could be fished more as there are no suitable spots in the Buller for whitebait to lay their eggs.

While restoring wetlands is one solution, another Hickford said, is to reduce fishing in rivers where whitebait are spawning.

"So look after the small ones that seem to count and perhaps we can loosen some of the controls on the larger rivers," said Hickford.

McEnaney said Hickford has some interesting and challenging ideas to help preserve the whitebait and the association would like to have a discussion with him.

Any move that cuts back whitebaiting is likely to be controversial, though locals are expecting a good debate when Hickford arrives in the region to discuss his proposals.

______________________________________

• Watch the TV news video clip: Fears for future of whitebait (2 minutes 34 seconds duration).

tvnz.co.nz/national-news/fears-future-whitebait-3751989

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Delicacy scarce, expensive

By MATT RILKOFF - Taranaki Daily News | Friday, 03 September 2010

EVERYONE knows money can't buy you love, and now you can add whitebait to the list.

A poor start to the Taranaki season has left the region's usual suppliers with empty shelves and prices of $128 to $140 per kg for the few fish that do find their way into a net.

Graham Putt of the usually well-stocked Mokau Butchery said his supply ran out once he sold the fish he had caught himself.

"There have been no great quantities caught. It's been very quiet. There was a few guys getting some on opening day but after that it's been pretty quiet," he said.

It is that silence which so delights Irish-born Stephen Shaw who hardly knew what a whitebait was until he bought New Plymouth's Fresha Food Store five years ago.

"That's the beautiful thing about the whitebait. It is a mystery. You just don't know. These days everyone is used to going to the supermarket and everything always being there but with whitebait, you don't know if it will be on the shelves," he said.

When it is, Mr Shaw said his price would be $128 per kg, the same as it had been for the last five years.

At Marinovichs it was expected to be around $130 per kg and at Mokau Butchery the little fish were going for $140.

Though the fish aren't yet running in Taranaki, it is these prices that have piqued the interest of the Inland Revenue Department which is set on targeting illegal income from whitebaiters in Western Southland.

Constable Steve Winsloe, of Tuatapere, said he had heard reports of whitebaiters living off benefits and earning between $50,000 and $70,000 in cash sales of the delicacy every year.

No covert operations to catch illegal whitebaiters are planned in Taranaki but DOC spokesman Mike Tapp said staff continually monitored the region's rivers.

www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/4090358/Delicacy-scarce-expensive

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Bay whitebaiter swept out to sea

By JOLENE WILLIAMS - Hawke's Bay Today | Monday, 13 September 2010


RESCUED: Whitebaiter Tom Mansfield (centre)
is comforted by nephew and Coastguard
crewman John Weeks (right).

A HASTINGS man out whitebaiting was plucked from the water by Coastguard Hawke's Bay yesterday morning and found a familiar face in one of his rescuers.

Tom Mansfield, 59, was standing on the bank of the Ngaruroro River mouth near Clive, with a hand-held whitebait net when he was swept off his feet by the current and carried seaward.

Fellow whitebaiters immediately raised the alarm and the coastguard was launched shortly after, at 10.15am.

Coastguard skipper Bryce Lawrence said the current carried Mr Mansfield between 300m and 500m out to sea but had brought him closer to shore by the time the crew reached him.

Crewman John Weeks was onboard and preparing to pull Mr Mansfield into the boat when he recognised his favourite uncle.

"I had to look about three times," he said. "My heart skipped a few beats. It's just one of those things, you never expect it to be your own family."

Mr Mansfield was quickly wrapped in a survival blanket and taken back to shore. He suffered hypothermia after being in the water for about 40 minutes.

Paramedics monitored his condition at the scene, but he did not require further medical assistance.

Mr Mansfield kept calm throughout the ordeal.

"I just felt relaxed. I knew that panicking wasn't going to serve my purpose. I saw the police car on the beach and people on the beach as spotters. I felt everything was under control."

Mr Lawrence said the incident was an example for other whitebaiters because most people working on the river bank would not think to wear a life jacket.

It was Mr Mansfield's nephew who can be credited for the safety measures. About five years ago the seasoned whitebaiter heeded the advice of his nephew to wear a life jacket while whitebaiting, and keeps a spare one in the car.

Mr Lawrence said Mr Mansfield's water safety gear saved his life. "He was well prepared. He had neoprene waders and a proper life jacket, and that essentially saved his life because the waders are made of rubber and air gets trapped inside. They're like a wetsuit and kept him quite warm. His life jacket kept his head out of water."

Mr Weeks said: "I was just so glad it wasn't a fatality. He's my favourite uncle. He's more like a father to me."

It was the second close call for Mr Mansfield, who lost his footing in a similar situation the day before. He was in the water for about five minutes before his fellow whitebaiters pulled him to his feet.

Mr Mansfield recovered well and was not too shaken from the incidents to keep him from returning to work at Watties that evening.

www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/bay-whitebaiter-swept-out-to-sea/3922426

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‘Break from quake’ offer

The Press | Tuesday, 14 September 2010

VICTIMS of the Canterbury earthquake are being offered a spot of whitebaiting on the West Coast.

Up to 1000 Canterbury residents can visit the region after Solid Energy, KiwiRail and Lyttelton Port of Christchurch joined Tourism West Coast to offer a free "break from the quake" package.

The organisations are offering a return trip on the TranzAlpine for two nights in Greymouth or Hokitika, along with transport, meals and discount activity vouchers.

The offer is for families who have suffered damage to their home, business or health.

Lyttelton Port of Christchurch chief executive Peter Davie said many Canterbury businesses and families had been under "extreme pressure" as they rebuilt their lives.

Westland Mayor Maureen Pugh and Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn will welcome every visitor from Canterbury on arrival in Greymouth.

Pugh said the groups were offering West Coast hospitality and "maybe even a day at the river with a whitebait net".

Applications for the offer can be made online at the Solid Energy website, www.CoalNZ.com, or on 0800825322, starting at 10am tomorrow.

Travel can be taken between September 17 and October 20.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake/4124968/Break-from-quake-offer