“WHITEBAIT”

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Whitebaiters warned of contaminated rivers

NZPA | Tuesday, 14 September 2010


POLLUTED: Waimakariri River.
— Photo: Pam Johnson.

CHRISTCHURCH whitebaiters are being warned not to set nets along the Waimakariri or Kaiapoi rivers, into which raw sewage has been discharged since the earthquake.

Waimakariri District Council civil defence controller Nick Harrison said he was concerned people did not appreciate the potential risks in continuing to use the rivers, for whitebaiting in particular.

"We know some 'baiters are still casting nets into contaminated waterways in the district despite health warnings. Clearly this is unwise when untreated sewage is being spilled into waterways," he said.

The council had to start discharging sewage into the rivers after a major system failure resulting from the earthquake that rocked the area on September 04.

The Canterbury District Health Board is also warning people not to collect water, fish or shellfish and to avoid physical contact with affected waterways.

The whitebaiting season began 20 days before the earthquake and finishes on November 30.

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10673440

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Authorities warn whitebaiters

By CULLEN SMITH - The Canterbury Star | Tuesday, 14 September 2010



AUTHORITIES are warning whitebaiters to avoid setting nets along the Waimakariri or Kaiapoi rivers in the wake of the earthquake.

The Waimakariri District Council is having to discharge sewage directly into the Kaiapoi River after a major failure of the system and the Waimakariri River is also contaminated.

Civil Defence controller Nick Harrison is concerned some people don't seem to appreciate the potential risks in continuing to use the rivers, either for fishing, kayaking and in particular whitebaiting.

"We know some 'baiters are still casting nets into contaminated waterways in the district despite health warnings," he said. "Clearly this is unwise when untreated sewage is being spilled into waterways."

The delicacy is only available fresh for three months a year.

www.starcanterbury.co.nz/local/news/authorities-warn-whitebaiters/3922596

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Police dealing with unruly whitebaiters

By CULLEN SMITH - The Canterbury Star | Wednesday, 15 September 2010

WHITEBAITERS who persist in ignoring warnings to stay away from Christchurch rivers are being dealt with by the police because whitebait caught in local waterways has been deemed unsafe to eat.

Rivers remain contaminated with sewage and wastewater overflows following the earthquake and the Medical Officer of Health has issued warnings that it is unsafe to gather fish or shellfish, including whitebait.

Anyone who sees people whitebaiting in the Avon, Heathcote, Halswell and Styx rivers, the estuary, and the tidal reaches of the Kaiapoi River should notify the police.

The public are advised to avoid contact with any river water and sea water in these areas, due to their likely contamination, as a result of the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

www.starcanterbury.co.nz/local/news/police-dealing-with-unruly-whitebaiters/3922639

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Avon whitebaiters ignore pollution warnings

By ANNABELLE JACKMAN - 3 News | Wednesday, 15 September 2010


LIVING DANGEROUSLY: Whitebaiting in the Avon River.

WHITEBAITERS are ignoring warning signs and taking whitebait from the polluted waters of the Avon River.

Last week's earthquake sent raw sewage spilling into the Avon, and health authorities are warning it will be weeks before it and other rivers in the region are safe.

Darryl Chamberlain is not going to let the earthquake stop him whitebaiting in the Avon.

He says there's nothing wrong with the whitebait he's catching and eating.

"I had some out of here last night, I'm fine, I'm not dead," he says. "You only live once."

The police have told him to pack up and go home three times today — he's ignored them and the warning signs that have gone up along all of Christchurch's rivers.

He's not the only whitebaiter who knows more than the authorities.

Canterbury's chief medical officer of health says its a huge health risk and nobody, not even in boats, should go near the water.

"There's all sorts of gastro you can get, and you can actually get some much more serious illnesses, hepatitis for one, from faecal contamination," says Dr Alistair Humphrey.

Mr Humphrey says it'll be weeks before Christchurch's rivers are safe again.

www.3news.co.nz/Avon-whitebaiters-ignore-pollution-warnings/tabid/423/articleID/176275/Default.aspx

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Big agribusiness threatens our native fish

Press Release - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand | Monday, 27 September 2010

A NEW STUDY shows the devastating impact intensive farming is having on our native fish species, the Green Party said today.

"The majority of our native fish species are now either threatened or at risk, and intensive agribusiness is largely to blame," Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said.

In an article published today in the New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, scientists have ranked the conservation status of 51 native fish to determine how threatened they are. More than two-thirds are classed as Threatened or At Risk.

Among the causes identified in the study as threatening our native fish are declining water quality, the effects of water abstraction for irrigation, and loss of habitat from changing land use, all of which are related to agricultural intensification. The two most-affected areas are Otago and Canterbury, where intensification and irrigation has been particularly rapid in recent years.

"We have a freshwater crisis in New Zealand, and this study highlights just how bad it's got," Dr Norman said.

"Our native fish are disappearing before our eyes. In some cases, there are only one or two streams left in the country with certain threatened fish species living in them. Yet there are no protections to stop these streams from filling up with pollution or being sucked dry for irrigation.

"If you don't understand the extent of the problem, ask a whitebaiter. Whitebait are the young of some of our threatened native fish, and whitebaiters all around the country are reporting fewer and fewer whitebait each season. There's no doubt that pollution and irrigation are having an effect on whitebait numbers."

Dr Norman was particularly concerned by the rapid decline of the torrent fish and blue gill bully populations, which have halved in the last ten years. These fish prowl in rapids, and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of water abstraction for irrigation, because this reduces flow and shrinks rapids. Sediment and algae from intensive agriculture also block the gaps between rocks at the bottom of streams in which torrent fish and blue gill bullies hide out.

"Once our native fish are gone, they are gone for good. For generations, kiwi kids have swum, fished, and whitebaited in our rivers. We love our rivers and our native species, and we want to protect them, but time is running out," Dr Norman said.

"Saving our native fish will require a two-pronged effort: regulating harmful activities like dairy conversions, effluent discharge, and irrigation, and beefing up protection for the threatened habitats of these species.

"Sadly we're unlikely to see either from John Key's Government with its promises of fast-tracked irrigation schemes and cuts to the conservation budget.

"John Key wants to push ahead with more and more dairy conversions and irrigation to boost GDP growth, but we can't ‘balance’ the environment and the economy by tipping the scales towards the economy. The environment is the basis of our clean green economy, and we need to build on this foundation rather than undermine it.

"Unfortunately, by the time this Government figures this out it could be too late for our native fish," Dr Norman said.

www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/big-agribusiness-threatens-our-native-fish

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‘Fair go’ for fishing

By ROZ DAVENPORT - The Marlborough Express | Wednesday, 29 September 2010

THE WEEKS from September 15 to November 30 are some of Colin Davis' favourite times of the year.

But it is tinged with concern for the loss of habitat for what makes the time of year special.

Mr Davis is the programme manager, community relations for the Department of Conservation, and a keen whitebaiter.

"I enjoy the thrill of getting out there in the morning and if we get a feed it is a bonus."

He is also a keen trout fisherman, fishing with a lure in the lower Wairau River.

He says DOC staff make irregular visits to the Diversion, Wairau Bar and the Opawa River, during the season, and visit some east coast rivers later in the season.

Mr Davis has had a long association with the local whitebaiters, and from his perspective the loss of habitat for the whitebait is a major concern.

"Nationally we have lost about 90 percent of our wetlands.

"They can range from coastal areas to the high country, and they have been lost through land drainage for farming, property development, climate change and dumping for land fill."

He endorses the work of DOC and the efforts to protect the source of whitebaiting for the future.

"We are wanting the grandkids to be able to experience the same opportunities in the future."

He says it is easy enough to get started with whitebaiting, suggesting people buy or borrow a net, and try to find a local expert for some advice.

"You don't need a licence, but you do need patience.

"Be prepared to get up early and get your boots wet."

The is no quota so he says DOC staff visiting whitebaiting areas are all about promoting "catch what you need".

You can whitebait anywhere, Mr Davis says, as long as you have approval from the owner.

"There is always a lot of speculation on when and where the good runs will be.

"Whitebaiters are very secretive, so never expect a straight answer to what they have caught," Mr Davis says.

He enjoys the spirit and the social aspect of the whitebaiting season.

"I am more than happy to talk to people out there enjoying their pastime.

"Only a small percentage of whitebait survive to adult size, so it is about getting the gear out of the water at night and giving everyone a fair go."

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/community-papers/4175040/Fair-go-for-fishing

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Heavy weather hits whitebaiters

By SEAMUS BOYER - Wairarapa Times-Age | Wednesday, 29 September 2010


SLOW START: There have been reasonable whitebait
catches reported at Lake Ferry when fishable.

HIGH WINDS and heavy rain are dampening a patchy but promising start to the whitebaiting season, with Lake Onoke at Lake Ferry currently unfishable due to high water levels.

Mary Tipoki, from the Lake Ferry Holiday Park, said the season had been fairly positive so far, but wild weather over the past week had put a halt to that.

"We've had some reasonable catches, but at the moment there's a huge amount of water coming down the rivers from all the rain.

"The lake is very, very full at the moment.

"It's flowing across the road."

She said last week was also a write-off for whitebaiters, with high winds leaving the lake unfishable.

"The chances of whitebait making it into the lake are almost (zero)," she said.

High water levels meant it was difficult to tell if the estuary mouth was actually open, but Mrs Tipoki suspected it was open a fraction.

Meanwhile Green Party co-leader Russel Norman has alleged that effluent and nutrient pollution from dairy farms had contributed to a slow start to the whitebait season around the country.

He said: "Small streams are particularly important for whitebait spawning, and these are more likely to be unfenced, and unplanted.

It is not unusual to see cattle walking through the same streams where whitebait attempt to breed.

"The fact that very few whitebait have been caught at the start of the season shows that these threats are having a real impact," he said.

Dr Norman said last month that action from councils and farmers was needed to "protect the great kiwi tradition" of whitebaiting.

The season opened on August 15 and runs until November 30.

www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/heavy-weather-hits-whitebaiters/3924453

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Taking the 'bait

By JAN BILTON - Manawatu Standard | Thursday, 30 September 2010


MMMMM: Celebrate the whitebait season with
some Whitebait Spring Stacks.

GIVEN the hostile, unseasonable weather we have been suffering up and down the country, it's hard to believe that spring has arrived.

But the tasty evidence is there. Strawberries and asparagus are on the shelves, rhubarb is flourishing in the garden and the whitebait are running in the rivers.

The official whitebait season is from August 15 until November 30 (or September 01 until November 14 on the West Coast). Whitebait, the young of five native fish species, are expensive to buy because they are seasonal and usually in short supply. They're definitely a special treat for those of us who aren't white baiters, but they are one of New Zealand's best-loved foods.

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WHITEBAIT SPRING STACKS

Whitebait fritters are served topped with stir-fried whitebait.

Great served with a new-vintage sauvignon blanc.

Ingredients for Whitebait Fritters:

• 150g whitebait
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 large egg, separated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
• rice bran oil for frying

Ingredients for Stir-Fried Whitebait:

• 100g whitebait
• 2 Tbsp flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• rice bran oil for frying
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Method:

• To prepare the fritters, rinse the whitebait and pat dry with paper towels.

• Whisk the flour and milk until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk, salt and pepper. Add the whitebait.

• Whisk the egg white, until stiff. Fold into the whitebait mixture.

• Heat 1-2 Tbsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Shallow-fry heaped tablespoons of the whitebait mixture, until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

• Meanwhile, prepare the stir-fry. Rinse and pat dry the whitebait. Toss in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic. Stir-fry the whitebait for about 1 minute, stir in the parsley.

• Serve the fritters topped with the stir-fried whitebait. Serve the lemon wedges to one side.

• Serves 4 as a starter.

www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/features/good-taste/4182925/Taking-the-bait

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Buyers of whitebait urged to check source

By MARC GREENHILL - The Press | Wednesday, 06 October 2010



WHITEBAIT caught in contaminated Canterbury waterways could be sold to unsuspecting cafes and restaurants, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) warns.

Health concerns were raised yesterday as whitebaiters continue to ignore warnings not to fish from rivers, river mouths and estuaries polluted with sewage and wastewater after last month's earthquake.

NZFSA food safety acting deputy director-general Carol Barnao said it was disappointing warnings were not being taken seriously.

"Our concern is whitebaiters are selling their catch, which is most likely contaminated, to unsuspecting restaurants and cafes."

"Our message to whitebaiters is simple. Stop putting yourselves and the public at risk."

Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey said warnings issued by police during the state of emergency, and signs at popular fishing spots, had gone unheeded.

Civil Defence had been asked to use its powers to have police remove whitebaiters from contaminated waterways, he said.

Failure to comply could result in a fine of up $5000 or three months jail.

Humphrey said cafes and restaurants were being asked to check the origin of whitebait they buy.

"Part of the problem is the catch on the West Coast has been quite low this year so far, which has put the price up and made it more profitable for whitebaiters on this side of the hill," he said. "A number of people have complained to us that they've seen whitebaiters catching quite large quantities of whitebait, certainly more than you'd ever use personally."

Food outlets and whitebaiters could be liable for causing food-borne illnesses from contaminated whitebait, which could be sold anywhere in the country.

"It's frozen, it's sold in blocks and none of us want to be sitting in a restaurant on the waterfront in Auckland or Wellington thinking we might be eating something that's contaminated," Humphrey said. "These [whitebaiters] are spoiling it for the whole industry."

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/4200695/Buyers-of-whitebait-urged-to-check-source

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Only a handful...

By ANDREW ASHTON - The Greymouth Star | Thursday, 07 October 2010


NOT MUCH 'BAIT: Dane Baxter and Mike Foster with their miniscule catch of whitebait.

WHITEBAITERS swung back in action this week but are still fighting a losing battle to come up with a decent catch of the delicacy after almost a full month of rain.

Nelson whitebaiters Dane Baxter and Mike Foster said they came back to Hokitika on Saturday after the weather curtailed their opening month’s fishing.

Mr Foster said despite better weather this week, whitebait was still scarce and said although there had been rumours of big hauls over the past few days “everyone on the north side of the river was pretty much the same”.

“The whitebait is just not there, the river is running really high and the water is dirty and the current is too strong, it just turns the net inside out.

“We don’t know of anyone on this side of the river that has had a big catch, but it will happen.”

Whitebaiters’ Association president Des McEnaney said he had not heard of any sizable catches so far.

“It has been bad news in the catch department, hopefully we get a run of better weather and cleaner rivers in the middle of the month.”

Department of Conservation ranger Ted Brennan said there had been no official reports of large catches, but he had heard of some up to 4kgs on the Hokitika River, while some had been spotted on the Totara.

“We have a ranger down on the Totara at the moment to check that out.

“Again on the southern rivers catches of up to a few kgs have been reported but by and large people are just sat by their nets.”

Hokitika police constable John Armstrong reminded whitebaiters to be vigilant and keep cars locked when unattended.

“There have been a number of incidents over past weeks, with items being taken from vehicles while people are out whitebaiting. Vehicles should be kept locked and any suspicious behaviour reported to police.”

www.greystar.co.nz/node/491

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Whitebait, a joy of life

Pleasures of the flesh.

Taranaki Daily News | Tuesday, 12 October 2010

PETER BINGHAM took the luxury route with his $30 budget at TLC Meats this week. The flesh he chose was whitebait.

There are some joys in life you just can't do without. Whitebait is one of them.

The delicacy status of the wee fish has soared as the catches have dropped. So much so if you're after a kilo of them you'll need close to $140. But it's ok to lash out once a season if you haven't got the time or gear to ply your skills on local river banks.

You can imagine the delight when Tony Varga spotted me mulling over the meat cabinets at TLC Meats and bellowed "why don't you try the whitebait". There they were in the fish chiller, fresh from the South Island's west coast, caught the day before.

They were packed to suit everyone's pocket and my $30 allowance was enough for a punnet big enough to easily feed two. Therein lay the problem. Middle daughter had just returned from middle earth (London for two and a half years to be exact) and was hanging out for a feed of whitebait.

Luckily for her and her bloke, who harboured similar cravings, good old dad had extras in the freezer.

The preparation was simple. Each fritter comprised three beaten eggs, half a punnet of whitebait, seasoned with salt and black pepper. A good heavy frypan that retains the heat gives best cooking results.

Half a punnet per fritter is a bit of a luxury and the whitebait could have been spread further without too much loss of quality to cater for a couple more diners.

That's my favoured way of cooking the treat but there are plenty of variations such as having them pattied, sauteed or in soup.

Patties would be the most popular and the whitebait go further but there is more work involved than my style. You separate the eggs and beat the eggwhites stiff. Add a dollop of self raising flour, salt and pepper and the yolks. Mix that together, add the whitebait and cook by the spoonful.

Alison Holst has an interesting recipe of sauteed whitebait cooked in garlic butter. The fish are dried as best as possibe (a tea towel is good) and then evenly sprinkled with flour. She cooks the flour- coated whitebait in the heated garlic butter and tosses them with a fish slice until they turn white. This takes a few seconds. They are ready to eat immediately and are best with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon.

A recipe for whitebait soup was intriguing if a highly unlikely possibility in my household. It comprises fish stock, 300gms of whitebait, a courgette, peas, pasta and an egg. It's not worth explaining how to cook it because it will never happen unless the good old days return and catches come by the bucket full.

That's about as likely as reporter Ryan Evans (Esther Taunton's bloke) ever carving through Tukapa's defence (apart from at halftime) as alluded to in the TLC Meats column a fortnight ago.

www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/life-style/4221710/Whitebait-a-joy-of-life

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Whitebait boom the talk of the riverbanks

By BIL MOORE - The Nelson Mail | Tuesday, 12 October 2010


'BAIT NET APPEAL: The sun catches whitebaiter
Richard Win's glasses beside the Motueka River.
— ANNA PEARSON/The Nelson Mail.

THE Nelson region's riverbanks are buzzing with tales of the little ones that didn't get away, and tiny fish making whitebaiters small fortunes.

The big outflow of fresh water at the end of last month brought problems for local authorities and farmers, but a short-lived whitebait boom.

Tales abound of 25-kilogram and 50kg catches, though whitebaiters speak the pre-metric language and will tell you about someone catching 50 or 100 pounds.

Quite a few did, according to whitebaiters the Mail has spoken to and Department of Conservation freshwater ecologist Martin Rutledge. He knows of one Golden Bay whitebaiter who took about 200kg over a week — a $12,000 haul at the going rate of $30 for half a kilogram.

"There were big runs last week in some of the Golden Bay rivers, the Motueka River and the Waimea River," he said.

He had heard of single catches up to 50kg, and even the Maitai was producing 2kg to 3kg runs right in the middle of the city.

Mr Rutledge said whitebait — five different species of freshwater fish that spend the early part of their lives at sea — home in on freshwater plumes that extend into the ocean.

"The further out to sea that freshwater plume penetrates, the more whitebait can sense it and follow it back. Whitebait have been seen hundreds of kilometres offshore — they disperse far and wide."

He also thinks that the recent spate of westerly and southwesterly weather might have pushed the whitebait north "and round the corner past Farewell Spit into our patch".

A lot of the Nelson catch was quite big, consistent with what is caught on the West Coast, and whitebaiting had been poor there so far this season, "but I've got nothing to hang my hat on scientifically".

On the banks of a Waimea Inlet creek not far from Richmond yesterday, 66-year-old Brian Charlett, a whitebaiter "since I was in nappies, almost" said last week's run was the best he can recall hearing of for many years. Sadly, he missed it, going scalloping at Okiwi Bay instead, "so that brassed me off a bit".

"There were guys down the [Waimea River] bridge taking home a 10-litre bucketful — it's unheard of in that river."

He managed around a kilo on Sunday and yesterday had a small catch. Nothing like one memorable day on the Takaka River when, as a 12-year-old, he netted 120lb (more than 50kg).

He said in those days he and the other Golden Bay children used to peddle whitebait door-to-door, charging half a crown (25 cents) for a full preserving jar.

"You couldn't sell them because everybody caught them. You ended up feeding them to the chooks."

The last whitebaiter to leave the Rabbit Island bridge yesterday was 82-year-old Reg Clarke. He said last week one elderly man caught so many whitebait, he had to be helped to carry it to his car. Such luck hasn't blessed Mr Clarke, but he's still had his most productive season.

"I've only got six or eight pounds, which is heaps for me. I'm used to counting them, not weighing them."

The season ends November 30.

www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/4223228/Whitebait-boom-the-talk-of-the-riverbanks

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The wonders of whitebait

By LYN WEBSTER - Taranaki Daily News | Wednesday, 13 October 2010

LITTLE FELLAS make big impact on an exhausted cockie and housebound child.

Spring... calving season ends and mating season begins. The pressure of calf rearing and potential metabolic disasters is replaced with the pressure of identifying inseason cows and picking them out every morning milking for the AB technician. Milkings are complicated with the stop-start of picking cows out and daily checking and touching up tail paint. It is vital now to get as many cows mated and in-calf early for next Spring to be successful. I'm on a fast round now too and constantly worrying/hoping the grass growth is going to take off big- time soon so I can get my cows back on track after those days and days of nightmarish rain.

I've been up early every day now since June 15 — approx 120 days — so no wonder I fell asleep in the bath on Saturday night. I'm knackered. I was supposed to be cooking pasta-bake for the girls who were in town but I only got as far as starting some mince and onions before it all caught up with me and I crawled off to bed. They were none too impressed when they got home to find nothing done and Mummy asleep in bed. Danni had cheese and tuna for tea and Stevie survived on a tin of peaches — sorry girls ... don't forget about the children starving in Africa.

One missed tea is not the end of the world and I guess when you are trying to run a dairy farm and a family at the same time, sometimes something's got to give. I must say I felt revived the next day after a couple of extra hours sleep that night. I think that most mothers are burdened with some degree of guilt and I sometimes wonder what effect me being so busy will have on my daughters. I hope it will see them become hard-working and independent with a sense of humour, but time will tell.

I have been feeling a bit sorry for Stevie these holidays as Danni has been busy working at the shop, so her younger sister has been rattling around on her own a fair bit. Stevie keeps on threatening to clean up the house but then she gets distracted by the computer. Her latest acquisition is an I-Pod Touch, an amazing gadget on to which she has downloaded 270 songs and 60-odd games. I'm not exactly at the cutting edge of modern technology myself (still refusing to get a mobile phone) but cannot help but be impressed by this little hand-held object that can play games and music, record your voice and even take photos.

The farm cannot compete with the wonders of modern technology but I never give up saying, "Stevie, I'm doing a pasture walk — do you wanna come?", "Stevie, I'm feeding the calves — do you wanna come?", or "Stevie, I'm going to the run-off, do you wanna come?" But the answer is always "No!"

I have jurisdiction over two run-offs, both within five minutes drive of the main farm. One is shut up for silage at the moment but there are 34 yearlings and two bulls on the other one, so I have to fit in a daily trip to the run-off to shift the stock and make sure all is well. I had heard it is whitebait season and I love a good feed of whitebait but I'd never been whitebaiting. I'd noticed little squiggly things in the stream at the run-off on previous visits but recently the penny dropped — maybe that's whitebait. I mentioned it to a friend in passing and she insisted I borrow her whitebait net and have a go at catching some. So I tied a rope on to the net and lowered it in to the stream the next time I went to shift the young stock. I was delighted when, after a few moments, a big herd of the little squiggly things appeared swimming like mad against the current and it looked like they all swam straight into my net. I hauled it in and to my delight had managed to catch about 12. A few minutes later I did the same thing again and by the time I went home I had caught three patties worth. How exciting.

Naturally I took the net with me again when I went to shift the stock over the next few days and every time I caught a few whitebait — sometimes only four or five, but whitebait none-the-less. Trouble is I am always pushed for time and never get the opportunity to really relax and have a good go at whitebaiting and it is no surprise that I soon became impatient with only catching a few at a time and started plotting how I could get more without wasting any time.

Logically I explored upstream and came across Nirvana — a spot where they all get trapped and can't go anywhere to escape me. Hah! The only downside was someone had to actually go into the stream to get them. Not to be beaten I grabbed the net and went in in my bra and undies. One scoop of the net and I had caught 40 whitebait. Yay. In 11 minutes I had 275g in my jar — plenty for great feed.

I went home and told Stevie, who unstuck herself from the computer screen to marvel at my catch. The next day I yelled out "Stevie, I'm going to the run-off — do you wanna come?"

"Are you going whitebaiting?"

"Yep."

"Wait for me."

Now I shift the young stock and Stevie gets in the stream, scooping up whitebait by the dozen, unphased by cold water and the threat of hidden eels. She's really good at it, staying still until the perfect moment to strike and get the maximum amount of little squiggly things in the net.

"This is better than I-Pod touch," I said as we drove home with our delicious prize. Stevie had to agree.

www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/life-style/pig-tits-and-parsley-sauce/4226725/The-wonders-of-whitebait

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Whitebait season washed out

By TUI BROMLEY - The Greymouth Star | Wednesday, 20 October 2010

WHILE West Coast whitebaiters are bemoaning one of the worst seasons in living memory, Nelson whitebaiters are enjoying their best.

What is worse, Department of Conservation freshwater ecologist Martin Rutledge believes the bait being caught in the sunshine city has simply bypassed West Coast rivers continually swollen by weeks of rain.

Nelson rivers have teemed with bait in recent weeks, and Mr Rutledge speculates that the prolonged spell of south-westerly weather that muddied West Coast waters all season has pushed the bait past Farewell Spit and into the Nelson region, where catches of up to 50kg have been common, while one man claimed 200kg in a week.

By contrast, South Westland rivers, normally prolific suppliers of West Coast whitebait, have been barren.

Betty Eggeling, who has fished the Turnbull River at Haast for more than 60 years, said 2010 had brought one of the worst seasons that she could recall, but she still had hopes of filling the freezer.

“You just cannot predict what’s going to happen. No one can. The season’s not over so I’ll just keep on fishing.”

John Hewer has fished the Waiatoto River, south of Haast, for 59 years and he can recall only one worse season.

“My first season was a boomer — there were only 11 of us on the river back then and we got tonnes — but the second, we had floods for six weeks and couldn’t get a net in the river,” he said.

Mr Hewer had a different theory for the dearth of whitebait this year than just the bad weather.

“When I got the stand off old Dinny Nolan he said that if you had a long dry spell in the winter then it translated to a poor season because the breeding grounds also dried up,” Mr Hewer said.

“That’s happened to me three times, including this year, when I came back from a trip to Christchurch and found my front lawn dead. I told everyone who would listen that it would be a poor season, and it has been.”

Further north at Bruce Bay, the Jacobs River was no better, with veteran fisher Wallace Adamson blaming an “exceptionally bad spring”.

“This could be the worst season on record,” he said yesterday.

“I recall one year that the wife and I got 46kg between us from two stands at the front, and this is shaping up as worse than that.”

Mr Adamson said the pre-season signs had been good, but then the weather intervened.

“There was plenty of bait around in July but since then we have had terrible weather, with late snow and hail, the temperature has struggled to get above 10 degrees Celcius and the rivers have been dirty. It’s hopeless.”

South Westland’s malaise has also swept up the Coast with whitebaiters at Ross, Hokitika, Greymouth and Westport lamenting the ‘season that never was’.

Kumara Junction’s Noleen Robinson has fished the Taramakau River since the 1940s, but she has no intention of dipping the net this year.

“My son usually puts up a stand for me but he’s working down Dunedin and every weekend that he’s come home to do it the river’s been too high. I’m not even going to bother now.”

Westport DOC ranger Martin Abel said rivers in Buller were not fishing any better.

“Some rivers are yielding the odd pound of 'bait but most ... absolutely nothing. It’s lean pickings, I’m afraid.”

www.greystar.co.nz/node/518

[Deleted]

Whitebaiter swept out to sea

NZPA | Sunday, 24 October 2010

HOPES ARE fading of finding alive a whitebaiter swept out to sea on the South Island's west coast this morning.

The aerial search for the man was called off on Sunday evening.

The man was one of three whitebaiting near the mouth of the Okarito River, north of Franz Josef, when they were hit by a wave and carried downstream and out to sea around 9am.

The other two were rescued by jetboat and jetski, and recovered after medical treatment.

A Coastguard Kaikoura spokesman told NZPA it had undertaken a "comprehensive" two-hour search for the man, but there had been no sign of him.

However, he understood ground patrol searches were continuing.

www.stuff.co.nz/national/4268419/Whitebaiter-swept-out-to-sea

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Rescue effort goes wrong

By AMY GLASS - The Press | Monday, 25 October 2010


SEARCHING: A helicopter takes off to search the
Okarito coastline. — AMY GLASS/The Press.

A CHRISTCHURCH man, identified by police as John Snoep, who tried to help two whitebaiters on the West Coast is believed to have drowned.

Constable Paul Gurney, of Franz Josef police, said the 76-year-old tried to help the two men after they had been knocked over at the mouth of the Okarito River at 9am yesterday.

"The two men had lost their balance in the current and he's ... swum out to give assistance," Gurney said.

Snoep, who did not know the two he was trying to save, did not reach them and went under, Gurney said.

Fishermen were able to rescue the two men with a boat, but were unable to find Snoep, who was wearing a wetsuit.

The men, from Christchurch and Auckland, were devastated that Snoep who had tried to help may have drowned, Gurney said.

"They are downbeat and very sorry that he came to try to save them and now he is missing." The men were shaken but unharmed, he said.

Two helicopters and a Coastal Air Patrol aircraft were searching the coastline yesterday.

Searchers on quad bikes and in boats were also scouring the area for Snoep.

Gurney said the last drowning in the area, which had happened under similar circumstances, was about 10 years ago.

West Coast Whitebaiters Association secretary Angela Anderson said the incident was a tragedy.

"It's not the first time we've had a drowning there. Whitebait is not worth losing your life over," she said.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/national/4269186/Rescue-effort-goes-wrong

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No sign of missing whitebaiter

NZPA | Monday, 25 October 2010

THE SEARCH for a whitebaiter swept out to sea off the South Island's west coast has been scaled back to a limited continuous search pattern.

A land based search covering 11 kilomters of the coastline this morning failed to locate any sign of the missing fisherman.

The search effort involved a team of Land Search & Rescue volunteers from Hokitika, South Westland and supported by local Okarito residents.

Christchurch man John Karl Snoep, 76, entered the water to help save two fishermen near the mouth of the Okarito River, north of Franz Josef, about 9am yesterday.

They were hit by a wave and carried downstream and out to sea.

An off-duty police officer managed to rescue one of the men, while the other was rescued by a local with a small dinghy.

The Coastguard conducted a two-hour aerial search for Mr Snoep yesterday, but found no sign of him.

Land search and rescue teams from Hokitika and South Westland would continue to scour the shoreline.

Police praised the courageous actions of those who helped in yesterday's rescue, saying more lives could have been lost.

They warned that river mouths and surf should not be underestimated, and reminded fishermen to be vigilant, given the remoteness of many whitebaiting areas on the West Coast.

"Essentially there are no safe beaches on the West Coast and given the remoteness of many white baiting areas, fisherman need to remain vigilant," the police said.

Police would also like to thank the community of Okarito for their support to both the search.

www.stuff.co.nz/national/4269735/No-sign-of-missing-whitebaiter

[Deleted]

West Coast's loss is Nelson's gain

By DAN PARKER - 3 NEWS | Monday, 25 October 2010


LACK OF 'BAIT: Small catches have been the norm on the
West Coast but The Coast's loss has been Nelson's gain.

THE TRAGIC LOSS of a colleague has added a sad twist to a season West Coast white baiters say is already the worst in 40 years.

Small catches have been the norm but the coast's loss has been Nelson's gain.

Taramakau River is a quiet spot on the West Coast that white baiters have been coming to for as long as anyone there can remember.

Francie Ilton has had his spot for 40 prosperous years, but this season it's only the water that has been flowing.

Mr Ilton's catch is at an all time low.

“As long as I can remember, yeah, this would be the worst by far,” he says.

And no matter how far you walk along the river's bank, the story remains the same.

“I've been here fishing for about three weeks and caught 10 pounds,” says Rob Parkinson.

“This time last year I had about 140 pounds.”

But while West Coasters are enduring one of their worst seasons, Nelson white baiters are enjoying one of their best.

The Motueka River has been teeming.

“There were some really good catches down the mouth of the river, I actually saw myself 70-80 pounds in a day,” says Richard Wynn.

Some have even claimed their catches can be more easily measured in kilos.

“You hear all sorts of stories; I don't know how many of them are true but fishermen are fishermen,” Mr Wynn says.

Affectionately dubbed Mr Whitebait, Department of Conservation freshwater ecologist Martin Rutledge believes Nelson's luck is firmly at the coast's expense.

“It's something to do with the dirty rivers and something to do with the big flows and a lot of the off shore currents moving up that West Coast,” Mr Rutledge says.

Put simply, weeks of heavy rain has swollen rivers and forced most of the whitebait to bypass the coast for safer waters further north.

But coasters can take comfort in the fact ecologist believe this season won't effect the spawning patterns of whitebait in the future.

www.3news.co.nz/Whitebait-West-Coasts-loss-is-Nelsons-gain/tabid/1160/articleID/182977/Default.aspx

[Deleted]

No sign of Okarito whitebaiter

By ANDREW ASHTON - The Greymouth Star | Tuesday, 26 October 2010


SWEPT AWAY: The missing whitebaiter lost at
Okarito is a 76-year-old man from Christchurch.

THE SEARCH for missing Canterbury whitebaiter John Snoep was yesterday scaled back after two fruitless days of searching the coastline around Okarito.

Mr Snoep, 76, was washed into the sea on Sunday after attempting to rescue two other whitebaiters who got into trouble at the mouth of the Okarito River and lagoon.

The two other whitebaiters, strangers to Mr Snoep, were rescued by an off-duty policeman and a fisherman, but their would-be rescuer was not seen again.

West Coast police search and rescue senior sergeant Sean Judd said a second day of searching covered an 11km stretch of coastline yesterday.

The search had now been scaled back, although rescuers would still monitor the situation when “time and tides allow” over the next few days.

Mr Judd said there were several precautions that other whitebaiters could take to ensure their own safety, including wearing lifejackets and wetsuits.

“Essentially, there are no safe beaches on the West Coast, and given the remoteness of many whitebaiting areas, fishermen need to remain vigilant.

“It is very important to be very aware in river mouths and even upstream. Whitebaiters should keep an eye on each other and always remember that in remote locations outside help will be some time away,” Mr Judd said.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/524

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Big Hokitika whitebait catches

The Greymouth Star | Wednesday, 27 October 2010

WHITEBAITERS armed with scoop nets were again packed around the Hokitika River mouth this morning.

A catch of 100kg was hauled from the mid-channel of the river on Sunday, while a stand further back took a massive 300kg off one tide.

Veteran Hokitika whitebaiter John Craig said those fishing in the trenches above the Hokitika Bridge enjoyed another good day’s fishing yesterday, with catch sizes about 16 pounds common.

Ila Lee, who has fished the Taramakau River since 1971, said the past week had been much better, thanks to the improved weather.

“Everyone’s been getting the occasional bucketful, and there were some better catches around.”

The Waitaha, Totara and Mikonui rivers also experienced good catches.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/529

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Whitebait on the move, finally

By VIV LOGIE - The Greymouth Star | Thursday, 28 October 2010


SECRETIVE: Evie Holly whitebaiting in the Grey River.

EVIE HOLLEY was keeping mum about how much whitebait she has scooped out of the Grey River over the past couple of days, but there are reports that the bait has been running in most West Coast rivers.

Some very heavy catches have been confirmed on the Hokitika River since Sunday, and yesterday brought reports of catches at Greymouth in the order of 100-pound ‘puddings’, with one catch rumoured to be in the order of 300 pounds.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/532

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Warning for whitebaiters

By SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express | Friday, 29 October 2010

TWO PEOPLE are being investigated by the Department of Conservation for allegedly breaching whitebait fishing regulations in Marlborough.

DOC communications adviser Trish Grant said one person was suspected of fishing with two nets instead of one, and another was believed to have started whitebaiting before the permitted 6am start time.

The whitebaiters' nets were confiscated and further action could be taken, Ms Grant said.

DOC South Marlborough community relations manager Colin Davis said whitebait had been running well in the past 10 days or so, with some "significant catches" being reported this week. That seemed to have led to some rule-breaking, he said.

"There's a lot of people out there really enjoying themselves, and a lot of people enjoying the opportunity to catch a feed for the family, but sadly there's people out there that are trying to beat the system."

Conditions on the river this year were far better than last year, he said.

Most whitebaiters spoken to by The Marlborough Express at the Wairau Diversion yesterday said they did not know of anyone breaking the rules, but said those who did were greedy and were not playing fair.

Shane Middlemiss, of Blenheim, said he had seen a few people with two nets, and saw DOC workers checking nets at the Diversion over Labour Weekend.

Mr Davis said DOC staff would continue to monitor Marlborough's popular whitebaiting spots to make sure everyone was sticking to the rules. "It's only a minority that will try to beat the system. However, any infringements will not be tolerated."

People who break whitebaiting regulations face fines of up to $5000.

The whitebait season ends on November 30.

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/4285961/Warning-for-whitebaiters

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Whitebait run has West Coast buzzing

By MATTHEW HAGGART - Otago Daily Times with The Greymouth Star | Friday, 05 November 2010


HARVEST: Hokitika River whitebaiter Peter Campion empties his first net yesterday as
whitebait continue to run in Westland. — Photo: Janna Sherman/Greymouth Star.

SSSSSH! Don't tell anyone, but the 'bait are running.

Large catches are being hauled in from South Westland rivers, although locals remain secretive about exactly who is getting lucky striking the "wriggling gold" and where.

Department of Conservation ranger Charlie Boulton said there had been several "genuine" reports from whitebaiters around Haast of catches weighing "well in excess of" 100kg.

Fishing conditions had improved dramatically last month after a dismal start to the season, he said.

Most whitebaiters were "more than happy" with recent catches. He declined to say which rivers were proving to be hot spots for the delicacy.

"Hell, if I was to say one river was running better than the rest I'd get shot," he said.

Supply companies Westbait and Curly Tree Whitebait are paying between $40 and $50 a kg for the fish.

A Cascade Whitebait Co spokesman would not discuss how much whitebait the company was buying from fishermen.

He did not want to talk about catch sizes for fear of attracting more punters seeking the elusive sprats.

"All it does is draws a whole lot of people to the Coast, which you don't need," he said.

Hokitika River whitebaiter Peter Campion, who has fished the stand closest to the Hokitika bridge for about 12 years, said late-season catches had been "patchy", although it had improved over the past few weeks.

"It's a game of chance. If your net's not out, then you're not in," Mr Campion said.

The Greymouth Star reported this week whitebaiters armed with scoop nets had packed the Hokitika River mouth amid reports a catch of 100kg was hauled from the mid-channel on Sunday, while a stand further back took a massive 300kg off one tide.

West Coast Whitebaiters' Association president Des McEnaney said he had not heard of any bigger hauls since then.

"Overall, it [the season] hasn't been brilliant, but we still have some time left."

The 2010 West Coast whitebait season closes on November 14.

www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-coast/134918/whitebait-run-has-west-coast-buzzing

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Whitebaiters haul 'em in

By SEAMUS BOYER - Wairarapa Times-Age | Friday, 05 November 2010


WHITEBAIT: A Kiwi delicacy. — Photo: Wairarapa Times-Age.

THE OWNER of the Lake Ferry Hotel says this year's whitebaiting season is the best he has seen in the past 17 years.

Maurice Tipoki, who has owned the hotel with his wife Mary since 1993, said it has been a brilliant season.

"I would say it's the best. People are catching whitebait and they all seem quite contented."

He said he knew of a local family who had taken more than 13kg of whitebait in one day.

"The men were filling up their scoops, then handing them to their wives and grabbing new scoops and going back for more."

Whitebaiters tended to stay mum about exactly how much they were bringing in, but all evidence pointed to a cracker season, he said.

The positive news comes after a disappointing start to the season, which opened on August 15, with high winds and heavy rain making whitebaiting difficult in August and September.

Trevor Martin, of Masterton, said the whitebait were jumping when he was fishing for snapper on Labour Weekend. "Every time you cast in you could see the whitebait jumping out of the water."

Lake Ferry whitebaiter Betty Butt said she was now hoping for rain to help open up the estuary mouth on Lake Onoke, as it has been closed since Sunday.

She was a bit more circumspect about the season, but said she had heard of good catches.

"It's been pretty good for the scoopers at the mouth, but it's not been too good for the ones further up the river."

She said the biggest haul she had heard of so far this season was 8kg.

The whitebaiting season runs until November 30.

www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/whitebaiters-haul-em-in/3928918

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Whitebait season improves

By JANNA SHERMAN - The Greymouth Star | Friday, 05 November 2010


WHITEBAIT PICKINGS: Peter Campion empties his net at his stand near
the Hokitika bridge. — Photo: Janna Sherman/Greymouth Star.

PETER CAMPION, who has fished the stand closest to the Hokitika bridge for about 12 years, said late season catches had been “patchy”.

However, the season had improved over the past few weeks.

“The season was hindered by shocking weather initially, but since the weather has improved and the water is warmer there has been more fish about.”

Yesterday was the first wet day for almost a week, but whitebaiters were still out in force.

“It’s a game of chance. If your net’s not out then you’re not in,” Mr Campion said.

Further south, rumours of record catches in Haast rivers could not be confirmed.

However, Turnbull River whitebaiter Fay Eggeling said from Sunday the West Coast delicacy had been consistent. The season had improved since Labour Weekend, which also proved trumps for Hokitika fishermen with reports of catches up to 200kg.

West Coast Whitebaiters’ Association president Des McEnaney, said he had not heard of any bigger hauls since then.

“Overall it (the season) hasn’t been brilliant but we still have some time left.”

The 2010 West Coast season closes in just nine days, on November 14.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/547

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'Baiters stretch DOC patience

By TUI BROMLEY - The Greymouth Star | Monday, 15 November 2010

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION rangers had issued 65 offence notices for breaches of the whitebaiting regulations by the season’s end yesterday.

The main offences logged were for the illegal use of screens, not remaining within 10m of their nets, and fishing after-hours — including fishing throughout the night or a whole month early.

The season, saved from obscurity by late runs in most West Coast rivers, also produced one drowning, several fights, and empty council threats about the removal of riverside shelters.

Christchurch man, John Snoep, 76, drowned in a brave but forlorn bid to rescue two other baiters who had been swept into the mouth of the Okarito River on October 24.

Ted Brennan of the Hokitika conservancy said the season, which officially began on September 01, opened for some illegal fishers as early as July but the earlybirds were caught in the act and DOC confiscated all their gear.

Mr Brennan said the excuses were many and varied but rangers were tired of two of the most popular: “I went to the toilet” (in relation to unattended nets) or “I didn’t know the rules”.

“If a whitebaiter has to go away from the net — even for a relatively short time — lift the net out ... you won’t miss out on too many whitebait but you might otherwise have your net seized,” Mr Brennan said.

“All people know there are rules for whitebaiting. The liability lies strictly with the whitebaiter to make themselves familiar with the regulations, which are easily obtained either off the internet or from the nearest DOC office.”

The Buller Area reported reasonable catches around Labour Weekend, but poor returns from Karamea.

“Greymouth Staff reported 40kg in one day around the Grey River but overall nothing spectacular and Hokitika staff observed a couple of good catches at certain sites, but overall catches were very average,” Mr Brennan said.

“In South Westland the odd 20-litre bucketful was seen and in some cases whitebaiters had 10kg to 20kg to go home with from a weekend’s fishing — some rivers certainly produced better than others.”

Whitebaiters have 14 days from the end of the season to remove their shelters and all gear and rubbish associated with their activity from all rivers managed by DOC, and the department will be checking to ensure the act is complied with.

“Already rangers are noticing that whitebaiters are removing their gear from the riverbeds and this is appreciated ... don’t just toss it in the shrubbery.”

Last year 19 whitebaiters faced 31 charges.

www.greystar.co.nz/node/566

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Whitebait still unsafe to eat, say health authorities

NZPA | Tuesday, 16 November 2010

CANTERBURY whitebait is still not safe to eat after the September 04 earthquake affected water quality in the region's rivers and estuaries.

"Contamination levels would still be dangerous to anyone who ingested the water.

This is particularly important as a component of this contamination is human — leaking from cracked sewers — rather than simply animal contamination," Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey said.

Christchurch City Council City water and waste unit manager Mark Christison said there were no longer direct discharges into local rivers and there had been a remarkable drop in contamination levels.

"However, damage to the many kilometres of sewer pipes which are close to the Styx, Kaiapoi, Waimakariri and Avon rivers mean that there almost certainly will be some contamination after rainfall, and possibly at other times also."

The water in which the whitebait was trapped and frozen would contain human sewage which would contaminate the kitchen and utensils, even if the whitebait itself was safe after being cooked, Dr Humphrey said.

There is a ban on whitebaiting in the Styx, Kaiapoi, Waimakariri and Avon Rivers until at least the end of the whitebaiting season.

Ignoring this ban carries a maximum penalty of a $5000 fine or three months imprisonment.

www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4351934/Whitebait-still-unsafe-to-eat-say-health-authorities

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Still not safe to go whitebaiting

Media Release from Canterbury District Health Board

nzDoctor.co.nz | Wednesday, 17 November 2010

DESPITE water quality in earthquake affected rivers and estuaries returning to pre-earthquake levels, Dr Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury Medical Officer of Health says it is still not safe to go whitebaiting or swimming as contamination levels would still be dangerous to anyone who ingested the water. This is particularly important as a component of this contamination is human (leaking from cracked sewers), rather than simply animal contamination.

Christchurch City Council City water and waste unit manager Mark Christison said "Council workers have worked tirelessly to the point where we no longer have any direct discharges into our local rivers and this is reflected in the remarkable drop in contamination levels. However, damage to the many kilometres of sewer pipes which are close to the Styx, Kaiapoi, Waimakariri and Avon rivers mean that there almost certainly will be some contamination after rainfall, and possibly at other times also."

Dr Humphrey says "Although some people think that whitebait is safe because it is cooked, the water in which the whitebait is trapped and frozen will contain human sewage, which can contaminate your kitchen and your kitchen utensils. You may not get sick from eating a whitebait patty, but you could get sick from consuming a salad or some other food prepared in the same kitchen."

"While rowers, kayakers and other boat users are able to reduce their risk by washing down their boats after use and showering, as well as scrupulous hand washing, the same is not true for swimmers or white baiters," says Dr Humphrey.

Because of this risk, the ban on whitebaiting in the Styx, Kaiapoi, Waimakariri and Avon rivers will stay until at least the end of the white baiting season. Ignoring this ban carries a maximum penalty of a $5000 fine and/or 3 months imprisonment.

www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2010/november-2010/17/still-not-safe-to-go-whitebaiting.aspx

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Christchurch whitebaiters beware?

By HAMISH CLARK - 3 News | Wednesday, 17 November 2010


CONFUSED? 3 News found four whitebaiters, all convinced
they are allowed to catch the sought after delicacy.

THERE IS confusion over whether it is safe to catch whitebait on Christchurch Rivers, 10 weeks after the earthquake.

Environment Canterbury gave the all clear at the weekend, but the medical officer of health says whitebaiting is still banned because the rivers remain contaminated with sewage.

A waft of human sewage still hangs over pockets of the Avon River, but the only thing fisherman say they can smell is the whitebait running.

Fisherman Noel Miller says he was out yesterday and caught half a kilo of whitebait.

3 News found four whitebaiters, all convinced they are allowed to catch the sought after delicacy.

“Saturday I read in the paper and they said that all the river levels were back to normal before the pre-earthquake and so that is why I was allowed down and why everyone else has been out,” says Matthew Sherwood.

Signs that once lined the river bank warning of the dangers are gone.

But Alistair Humphrey, the Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, says fishermen are misreading the report.

“What the media release from ECan said was that the levels were back to normal which is correct, but there is still human contamination,” he says.

Mr Humphrey says while the rivers look clean they are still dangerous.

“A lot of people don't realise that we have got pipes running under the river after the earthquake, these pipes got bent in and snapped off at the bottom, this is where we have leakages into the rivers,” he says.

Whitebaiters caught ignoring the ban face a fine of up to $5000 or three months in prison.

The whitebait season finishes in two weeks time but engineers expect it to be months before the contaminated river to clear and are back to normal.

www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-whitebaiters-beware/tabid/423/articleID/186718/Default.aspx

[Deleted]

Fish get help to go up-stream

Norwest News | Thursday, 25 November 2010


HELPING HAND: Shane Wright checks out one of two fish ladders at Okiritoto Stream by Muriwai
Beach which aims to restore native fish populations (left). | FLOURISHING: Inanga/whitebait
could be back to breeding well thanks to fish ladders combining with natural camouflage at
Okiritoto Stream in Muriwai (right). — Photos: RANI TIMOTI/Norwest News.

HHOW DO you get fish upstream? Shane Wright has found an ingenious way.

The Muriwai resident makes and installs fibreglass fish ladders which help them get past culverts and other usually man-made obstacles to breed upstream.

He's placed two in the Okiritoto Stream at Muriwai Beach as a contribution to the community. "Our native fish are not very good swimmers."

Shane says as he regularly walk his dogs near the stream he could see the problem where the culvert pipes.

"After talking to other locals and how they noticed the decrease in native fish since the pipes went in 20 years ago, I contacted the Auckland Regional Council and it was agreed I could install my fish ladders there."

Shane's work brought considerable interest from passersby, and a information board may soon be placed by the ladders explaining how they work. "Hopefully in three to four years time this should be a really good whitebaiting river."

The lightweight but robust fibreglass moulded ladders Shane has been perfecting during the past four years often include baffles to slow water flow. Pebbles inset in the resin and "resting pools" every 1.5 metres allow fish to recover for the next surge upstream.

"We've taken their creek from them and we've got to put something in for them to go up-stream."

The Muriwai project was also an opportunity to do a fish survey backed by marine biologist Mick Kearney from Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi.

"The results speak for themselves," Dr Kearney says. "Prior to the installation of the fish ladders only a handful of fish were counted in the stream above the culvert. However, once the fish ladder was installed the number of fish climbing the ladder and migrating into habitat above the culvert barrier is nothing short of astounding."

Thousands of freshwater shrimp, hundreds of whitebait and juvenile eels, and common bully were counted.

"These results show that the installation of fish ladders are an effective method for re-establishing upstream and downstream migratory pathways for our freshwater fish species," Dr Kearney says.

Shane says he set up his company Fish Ladder Solutions after realising old-style ladders of concrete and rock took more time to build and were costly. Lime from the concrete was getting into waterways and adding to fish deaths, he says. Concrete ladders also tend to crack and break away, water undermines them, and waterways have to be diverted for a long time while construction takes place, Shane says.

"That's not to mention resource consents."

"I came up with a much easier way and for the last four years have been perfecting the fibreglass ladder. It is cost effective, environmentally friendly, easy to install, and only needs sand bagging of waterways for a short time for installation."

Shane is also working on a bracket suitable for attaching his ladders to dam walls.

• Visit FishLadderSolutions.co.nz for more information.

www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/nor-west-news/4382095/Fish-get-help-to-go-up-stream

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Hooked on West Coast whitebait? Beware of imiations!

By JOELLE DALLY - The Canterbury Star | Friday, 26 November 2010

WHITEBAIT fans — beware!

The so-called "West Coast" catch you are frying up for dinner may have come from the Avon River.

Medical authorities say people are still flouting local whitebaiting bans on polluted rivers and selling their fish off as West Coast catches.

And local fish and chip shop owners are none the wiser.

However, the whitebaiting season had actually been very poor on the coast, said Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey.

The local whitebaiting bans apply to the Avon, Styx, Kaiapoi and Waimakariri rivers and will stay in place until the end of the season, which officially finishes in four days.

Dr Humphrey said that even though water quality in earthquake-affected rivers and estuaries had returned to pre-earthquake levels, it was not safe to go whitebaiting or swimming, as contamination levels would still be dangerous to anyone who ingested the water.

This was particularly important, as human contamination would have leaked from sewers cracked in the earthquake, meaning a serious health risk. Illnesses could range from diarrhoea and vomiting, to hepatitis, he said.

"Although some people think whitebait is safe because it is cooked, the water in which the whitebait is trapped and frozen will contain human sewage, which can contaminate your kitchen and utensils," he said.

"You may not get sick from eating a whitebait patty, but you could get sick from consuming a salad prepared in the same kitchen."

While boat users can reduce their risk by washing down their boats after use and showering, as well as scrupulous hand-washing, the same is not true for whitebaiters."

City council water and waste unit manager Mark Christison said while there had been a remarkable drop in river contamination levels, damage to the many kilometres of sewer pipes close to the Styx, Kaiapoi, Waimakariri and Avon rivers meant there would almost certainly be some contamination after rainfall, and possibly at other times as well.

Anyone caught flouting the whitebaiting bans could face a fine of up to $5000 or three months' imprisonment.

www.starcanterbury.co.nz/local/news/hooked-on-west-coast-whitebait-beware-of-imiations/3931652

[Deleted]

Whitebait season over

The Marlborough Express | Tuesday, 30 November 2010

KEEN WHITEBAITERS are being reminded to remove all their gear from the water when the whitebait season closes today.

Marlborough Department of Conservation community relations programme manager Colin Davis said that while the season had been mediocre, there were still lots of people checking out the Wairau Diversion, the Opawa and Wairau rivers, and Roses Overflow east of Blenheim.

Mr Davis said everyone was now required to remove their screens and other gear from rivers and other waterways.

www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/4405330/News-in-brief

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Slim pickings for most whitebaiters

The Gisborne Herald | Tuesday, 30 November 2010

WHITEBAIT catches have been variable and generally down in the Gisborne and Wairoa districts but one Opotiki fisherman has a whopper of a tale.

Fishing at the mouth of the Waioeka River, he took home an “exceptional” catch of 137 kilograms in just one day, says James Holborow of the Department of Conservation.

Meanwhile, most whitebaiters in Gisborne and Wairoa counted themselves lucky to cover the bottom of their bucket.

The season closes today and DoC is concerned about the sustainability of the whitebait species.

Mr Holborow says fishermen should take enough for a meal and leave the rest.

“This is usually not the case, with prices of up to $100 per kilogram and no maximum daily catch also increasing the likelihood of illegal fishing.”

Good catches were usually because of a rare combination of events that create optimal conditions for spawning and a lot of juvenile fish in the water systems.

The fencing of many waterways in the Eastern Bay of Plenty has also helped with spawning by making riparian vegetation available instead of being heavily grazed.

The most whitebaiting in this district is done in the Wairoa River and there are not too many people bragging about their success.

Barry Clark has been fishing opposite Osler’s Bakery in Marine Parade for more than two decades and says it is the worst season he has ever had.

“It has been terrible. The first week after opening was OK but not since then.”

He has not caught much more than two pints in the last seven weeks, he says.

Catches reported in the Gisborne City area were variable due to significant rainfall events but there were some good catches reported in the Uawa.

Compliance was good in Wairoa and Gisborne, which includes the Te Arai, Waimata and Uawa rivers.

DoC staff spent over 800 hours on whitebait regulations compliance in rivers in the Bay of Plenty, which includes Gisborne.

Fifteen people on 25 charges are awaiting prosecution. Five of these are repeat offenders, which is disappointing.

“Offending mainly involved the seizure of nets for fishing within 20 metres of floodgates or structures and leaving a net unattended,” said Mr Holborow.

“The fishing off floodgates is the most common offence. Staff also receive excellent support from NZ Police during the season” says Mr Holborow.

“Next year DoC staff will continue to focus on known hot spots for illegal fishing and a no-tolerance approach of no warnings being issued, and people being prosecuted.”

www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?id=20437

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All over!


ALL SET: Back on opening day of the 2010 whitebait season (on 15th August), Michael Halder checks his net on
the Aparima River in Western Southland 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. — ROBYN EDIE/The Southland Times.

AND that's all folks!

The 2010 whitebaiting season has ended for most of New Zealand (it ended for the West Coast just over two weeks ago) and that's it for another year until the 2011 whitebait season begins. You'll have to make do with frozen whitebait until then.

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Whitebait bonanza in October

The Timaru Herald | Wednesday, 01 December 2010

The best day of the whitebait season in South Canterbury this year was in October, Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Steve Harraway says.

Mr Harraway said the season, which ended yesterday, had been typical for the East Coast, with both good and also disappointing days.

The high point of the season came on the Tuesday before Labour Weekend with people netting catches up to 10kg.

However at other times, Mr Harraway said people spoken to at Washdyke and Waihao Box had been "a bit disappointed".

One comment often mentioned to DOC staff was that there were "just too many people", and restricted access to some spots could have led to more people at Smithfield and Opihi, Mr Harraway said.

Whitebait are the young of native fish such as giant kokopu, shortjaw kokopu, banded kokopu, koaro and inanga, collectively known as galaxiids. They are a variety of native fish species that spend six months at sea and then make their way up rivers and streams.

The whitebaiting season lasts until November 30 everywhere except the West Coast of the South Island, where the season ends on November 14. Fishing is permitted only between 5am and 8pm or between 6am and 9pm when daylight saving comes into effect.

With habitat degradation leading to a decline in whitebait numbers, DOC staff monitor popular fishing sites to ensure whitebaiters comply with regulations.

While there had been reports of people fishing after hours, Mr Harraway said by the time patrols arrived, no-one was on site or engaged in any illegal activity.

www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/4408091/Whitebait-bonanza-in-October

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Ocean fails to give up lost whitebaiter

By CHARLEY MANN - The Canterbury Star | Friday, 03 December 2010


LOST: Mary Snoep said the water looked “mean” the day her
husband John dived into the water in an effort to rescue to
whitebaiters who had been swept out to sea by a wave.

IT WAS supposed to be a morning like any other.

While on holiday in Westland, Christchurch man John Karl Snoep left his family and went down to whitebait at his regular spot.

And as usual, his wife, Mary, went to meet him at the Okarito River mouth half an hour later.

But on this particular morning, the only sign of her husband was his bucket and his net.

Mrs Snoep said she and her son, Rob, who was with her, "just stood in shock", until the police arrived minutes later.

They said her husband had disappeared while attempting to rescue two whitebaiters who had been caught by a wave.

The 76-year-old from Taylors Mistake got into trouble when he reached one of the men and disappeared after grabbing his arm.

The two men were eventually rescued.

But an extensive search to find Mr Snoep's body failed to uncover any trace of him.

A memorial service has been planned for Tuesday, December 07.

Speaking publicly for the first time yesterday, Mrs Snoep said she had accepted that her husband's body was unlikely to ever be found.

"If he has got to be somewhere, it (the ocean) is where he would prefer to be," Mrs Snoep, 75, said.

She said her husband would not have given his safety a second thought when he dived into the water that fateful Sunday morning on October 24.

A keen swimmer and former lifeguard, Mr Snoep would swim each morning with his brother, Otto, who lived nearby.

"John must have gone in after them, but you have to be quite fit to rescue people because they panic," Mrs Sneop said.

The couple had been holidaying at Okarito, in Westland, for more than 20 years, after stumbling on the place "by accident" while searching for a good whitebaiting spot with friends, Mrs Snoep said.

But after Mr Snoep disappeared, she said she had never seen the water look "so mean".

She said the support from people in Okarito had been incredible.

"We love the people, love the place.

"When John was missing, they came rushing at us with bacon and egg pies and all sorts of goodies and sympathy," she said.

Mrs Snoep said the sea was a major theme in her husband's life.

He was a founding member of the Canterbury Underwater Diving Club in the 1950s and was heavily involved in water sports at Taylors Mistake.

She said he was "a quiet, hard working man."

The couple met working together at a glass factory in the 1970s — Mr Snoep was the engineering manager and Mrs Snoep was in the graphic design department — and they married in 1984.

Mr Snoep went on to work as an engineering manager for Shell for 20 years, before retiring in 2005.

Tuesday's memorial service will be held at 2pm at the Lamb & Hayward chapel on Kerrs Road.

www.starcanterbury.co.nz/local/news/ocean-fails-to-give-up-lost-whitebaiter/3932534

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Illicit white baiting rises near Haast

By MATTHEW HAGGART - Otago Daily Times | Saturday, 04 December 2010

ILLEGAL whitebaiting incidents have surged 35% in South Westland as Department of Conservation staff consider whether to prosecute for the more than 50 breaches they discovered this year.

Doc South Westland area manager Jo Macpherson said the department was investigating more than 50 alleged breaches of the Whitebait Fishing (West Coast) Regulations this season, compared with the 37 offences which took place in 2009.

She attributed the higher number of detected breaches for the 2010 season, which ended a month ago, to an increase in patrols by DOC staff.

Whitebaiting hotspots around Haast, such as the Waiatoto River, had not experienced as much activity because of affected river and fishing conditions.

The mouth of the Waiatoto River had changed this season, which meant there was less whitebaiting around the lagoon and a corresponding drop in detected offences, she said.

The most common whitebaiting offences recorded by DOC officers were people leaving their nets unattended (fishers not staying within 10m of their net) and fishing more than a third of the total waterway channel.

DOC "warranted officers" had made several trips to the remote Cascade and Paringa Rivers and those inspections had resulted in net seizures for fishing offences, Ms Macpherson said.

People found breaching whitebaiting regulations could be liable for prosecution and a fine from a court judge.

During the 2009 season, the 37 offences recorded by South Westland DOC staff led to eight successful prosecutions, Ms Macpherson said.

A late season run by whitebait resulted in several confirmed catches of more than 100kg by some fishermen in the Haast area this year.

The "general atmosphere" on rivers this year was a lot more amicable, Ms Macpherson said.

"Last year's season was particularly heated on some of the rivers, particularly the Waiatoto.

"[We] put considerable resources into patrolling South Westland rivers this season, about 1000 staff hours compared to the 850 hours in 2009."

It was too soon to say how many prosecutions might be undertaken by DOC for whitebaiting breaches for the 2010 season, she said.

In 2009, 12 people were prosecuted for illegal whitebaiting.

Four people were offered police diversion, while the remaining eight were convicted and issued fines of between $130 and $1000 as well as court costs, Ms Macpherson said.

www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-coast/139226/illicit-white-baiting-rises-near-haast

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Whitebaiting ban questioned

By CULLEN SMITH - The Canterbury Star | Tuesday, 07 December 2010


WARNED: Mr McQuillan's quirky sign advertising whitebait
caught just 200 metres from his Kainga Road home.

KAINGA whitebaiter Gary McQuillan has been fishing the Waimakariri River for more than 50 years and claims health authorities got it wrong with a recent whitebaiting ban.

Unrepentant after receiving an official warning from the Food Safety Authority for selling whitebait caught in the Waimakariri after a ban imposed following the September 04 earthquake, Mr McQuillan said he'd never seen the river so clean.

He risked a $100,000 fine or 12 months' jail for breaching the Food Act.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey banned whitebaiting in the Waimakariri, Styx, Kaiapoi and Avon rivers after earthquake damage to kilometres of sewer pipes and septic tanks near the rivers because of the risk posed by untreated human sewage discharging into the waterways.

Dr Humphrey said even though the whitebait was cooked, the water in which it was frozen would contain human sewage that could contaminate kitchens and utensils.

But Mr McQuillan told the North Canterbury News the Waimakariri had been badly polluted in the past from freezing works, fellmongery and timber treatment discharges.

No one's ever got crook. We were allowed to eat it in those days, he said.

I know what I'm talking about.

The health department got it wrong.

Mr McQuillan said he didn't fish near the mouth of the river soon after the earthquake, but was confident the bait he caught just 200 metres from his Kainga Road home was crystal clear.

The water up here is fresh. We've eaten it for two months, he said. Everyone did. There's nothing wrong with it.

Mr McQuillan sells his bait for a novel 3c each, or $30 a pound. As a boy growing up on the river he'd once counted how many bait were in a pound and found they numbered about 1000.

He dismissed his official warning delivered on November 11 as rubbish.

You don't feed your grandkids if there's a risk, do you? There's no risk involved.

The whitebaiting season ended on November 30, but Mr McQuillan said he'd caught fewer this year and had only about a pound left for sale.

www.starcanterbury.co.nz/local/news/whitebaiting-ban-questioned/3932921

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Whitebait secrets revealed

Media Release - Otago Regional Council | Tuesday, 22 February 2011

EVER WONDERED where whitebait come from, how they spawn, and what influences their numbers?

A public whitebait field day is being held in South Otago next month to increase awareness, and knowledge of the local delicacy.

The Otago Regional Council (ORC) and the Department of Conservation (DoC) want to increase local farmers’ and landowners’ awareness that protecting the riverbank is critical for whitebait to flourish.

ORC land resources officer Alice Webster says many farmers already have the best protection in place — ‘a fence’. If they can keep stock away from the grassy berm next to the water — especially from just before spawning to its end, it will help protect whitebait which are classified as ‘in decline’.

If there is no permanent fence, a temporary one put up during this time ensures stock are not eating the grass needed for Inanga (the tiny native fish which make up most of the whitebait catch) to spawn in. This stops the eggs from being trampled, and will help hugely in the overall protection of this species.

Inanga are currently spawning along the banks of the lower Clutha River/Mata-Au, and its tributaries. They spawn monthly from January to May in the moist grassy mulch at the base of vegetation, on the banks of rivers and streams, on the spring high tide.

Their eggs remain on the banks for around 30 days until they hatch on the next big high tide and then wash out to sea.

Miss Webster says DoC freshwater fish specialist Pete Ravenscroft will share his knowledge of the species, and the Mata-Au branch, including when and where they spawn, and their ideal habitat. He will also bring along live native fish to view.

The field day is being held at local dairy farmer Dean Gilbert’s Inch Clutha property on Thursday March 10, from 11am to 1.30pm. It winds up with a farm walk to view innovative practices and features of his dairy farm, before finishing with coffee and sandwiches.

______________________________________

For more information contact:

Alice Webster
Land resources officer
ORC
Ph 0800 474 082

www.orc.govt.nz/News-and-Notices/Media-Releases/Media-Releases---2011/Whitebait-secrets-revealed

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Wee whitebait focus of big growth aim

By CAROLE LONG - Bay of Plenty Times | Thursday, 10 March 2011


IN DECLINE: Whitebaiters have flocked to the Kaituna River
for many years and still do so but the catches have plunged.
— Photo: Bay Of Plenty Times, August 16, 1985.

WHITEBAIT, those small, delicate fish that cause delight and despair on the riverbanks of the Bay of Plenty in springtime, now have a better chance of survival in the Kaituna, thanks to some keen volunteers.

The public will have the chance to learn of their work when Peter Ellery, a member of the Maketu Taiapure Trust, is guest speaker at a meeting hosted by Forest & Bird on Monday, March 14, at the Papamoa Community Centre.

The loss of wetland habitat in the watershed of the Kaituna River (and many other rivers) has impacted most detrimentally on those rivers' whitebait runs. Off-river wetland lagoons, ponds and creeks are the preferred habitat for inanga, the predominant species in most rivers' whitebait runs. In the Kaituna River, the whitebait catch has dropped from a reported 20-ton harvests just after World War II to less than 100kg per season in some recent years. That can mostly be attributed to the conversion of swamp to farmland. In the Bay of Plenty, only 1.5 per cent of the freshwater wetlands that existed in 1940 remain.

To improve the whitebait fishery, more habitat for rearing inanga needs to be restored. That has been recognised by the Maketu Taiapure Trust, and through the Monitoring and Enhancement subcommittee there has been a goal of providing more enhanced inanga habitat.

In 2007, more ponds were excavated at The Borrow Pits, a recorded inanga spawning area and year-round rearing area.

Planting of native species, aquatic and terrestrial weed control and predator trapping, have made ongoing improvements to that area. Numbers of rearing inanga have increased each season since the ponds were established and with ongoing management can be expected to keep increasing. Plans for more ponds along the river are well under way, with volunteers always welcome.

Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting on Monday, March 14, at 7.30pm, at the Papamoa Community Centre, to learn about the variety of species in the "catch" and work being done to improve spawning sites.

To follow up on the meeting, a field trip is planned for Saturday, March 19, to inspect the borrow pits and look at some of the fish, plants and pests that live in and around the site. Meet at the Boucher Avenue carpark, behind Export Meats, at 8.45am, to carpool for the trip.

www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/rural/news/wee-whitebait-focus-of-big-growth-aim/3943816

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More whitebaiting offences

By MATTHEW HAGGART - Otago Daily Times | Thursday, 17 March 2011

A SURGE in the number of illegal whitebaiting incidents during the 2010 season has resulted in charges being laid against 10 people for allegedly breaching fishing regulations on South Westland rivers.

Department of Conservation staff covering the South Westland Weheka area issued 57 infringement notices to whitebaiters last season — a 35% increase from 2009.

Doc South Westland community relations spokeswoman Tina Pizzato said 10 whitebaiters had been issued with summons to appear in court for alleged breaches of the Whitebait Fishing (West Coast) Regulations.

Offenders can be fined for a breach of the regulations and have their whitebaiting nets and gear confiscated under statutory powers.

Some of the whitebaiters who will appear in court were charged because of a repeated breach of fishing regulations, or the "offence was serious enough to prosecute them for a first offence", Ms Pizzato said.

Of the 57 fishing regulation breach notices issued, 47 were either for a minor or first offence, Ms Pizzato said.

"These people will be getting warning letters, and any gear that was seized will be returned to them."

The most common whitebaiting offences recorded during the 2010 season were people leaving their nets unattended (fishers not staying within 10m of their net) and fishing more than a third of the total waterway channel.

The number of whitebaiting infringements had increased from the 2009 season, when there were 45 "write-ups" and eight prosecutions, Ms Pizzato said.

www.odt.co.nz/your-town/haast/152139/more-whitebaiting-offences

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Whitebait festival still on

By NICHOLAS McBRIDE - The Greymouth Star | Monday, 21 March 2011



A NEW West Coast whitebait festival, timed for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, will still be going ahead despite Christchurch having been stripped of its games due to earthquake damage at AMI Stadium.

Tourism West Coast general manager Matt Ewen said the festival, celebrating the West Coast and its favourite dish, had been planned to coincide with the Christchurch games before it was decided they would be moved.

He said yesterday it would still go ahead regardless of the change: “We’re still pressing on fully.”

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully has said he hoped the five pool matches that had been scheduled for Christchurch would still be played in the South Island.

Dunedin and Invercargill are likely contenders.

With this in mind, Mr Ewen said he believed a whitebait festival on the West Coast would not be too badly affected because visitors would still be in the South Island.

He hoped that initial research, which suggested 11,000 World Cup visitors would visit the West Coast, would still be accurate given that the pool games were not all leaving the island.

A separate festival, to be hosted in Christchurch, had been planned by the Westland District Council business unit but has since been cancelled. Mr Ewen said that was not connected to the Tourism West Coast proposal, which would be conducted as part of the 2011 Real New Zealand Festival, a celebration of New Zealand and its regions.

The whitebait festival is intended to be six weeks long and will be hosted throughout the West Coast, from Karamea to Haast. It will involve various activities such as a whitebait menu challenge and a photo competition.

Mr Ewen said Tourism West Coast had applied for funding from the Lotteries Commission and was currently awaiting approval.

If the event was successful and got good participation and support it could become an annual event.

“Just look at the Wildfoods Festival,” he said.

Former Destination Marlborough chief executive Dominic Moran has been appointed to co-ordinate the festival.

He said the reception from businesses about the event had been positive.

Whitebaiting was a genuine New Zealand-type experience and would be a good “hook” to get people to the Coast, Mr Moran said.

www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebait-festival-still