UNKNOWN

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1928, Page 11

UNKNOWN

IN WANGANVI RIVER.

RESIDENTS INDIGNANT.

(By Telegraph —Own Correspondent.)

WANGANUI, this day,

A Gazette notice of March 15 reads: '•It shall be unlawful to use a set net for taking fish in any portion <jf the Wangamii River, or to use a net of any description whatever for taking fish in that portion of the said river above the bridge known as the Town Bridge." As the Wanganui River extends to Ruapehu and as thousands of nets of various descriptions are used for taking fish, this regulation comes as a bombshell. In the summer evenings, for miles up the river, enterprising residents are very glad to supplement their larder by drag-netting for floifiders, and often they are very successful. The term "any description of net" obviously refers to whitebait nets also, so it will be interesting to hear what the Maoris at the various pas along the river have to say about the new regulation.

A leading Wanganui Maori, in a "snapshot interview" this afternoon, remarked, "That bad for te poor Maori, eh? All right, we hold te indignation meetings all along the river, and next session we fill Parliament with Maori deputations."

It is well known that during the whitebait season a considerable revenue is derived by Maoris from the Wanganui River by the sale of their surplus catches in the city. The regulation, no doubt, is due to the prospective run of Atlantic salmon.