Whitebait Season Begins Today

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30534, 1 September 1964, Page 5

Whitebait Season Begins Today

(From Our Own Reporter) WESTPORT, August 31. Conditions promise to be most favourable for the opening of the whitebait fishing season in the Buller district today as the weather has been good during the last few days after a long rainy period. Already quite a number of stands have been erected along the banks of the Orowaiti river, though they are not as large as some used before the new regulations. Some used to stretch almost across the mouths of some tributaries, but fishing from these lanes has now been severely curtailed. The new regulations have been welcomed by those fishing for their own enjoyment and satisfied with reasonably good catches, but they will not be appreciated by those fishing commercially, especially as there is a ban on occupancy of some places by other than married couples. Brush barricades, which were so frequent in the Orowaiti river in the past, have now been banned, and screens used in those waters have to be removed after each day’s fishing no later than sunset. In the last three days some sizeable shoals have been seen in the Orowaiti and other Buller streams. Whitebait nets are allowed in the Greyniouth district waters this morning from 6.30 and. the last drags will have to be completed by 5.30 p.m. These are the official hours for sunrise, and sunset today and the new Whitebait Regulations stipulate that no fishing shall be done before sunrise and after sunset. There was likely to be a

shortage of set nets in. the early stages of the whitebait season, Christchurch sporting dealers reported yesterday. They said the situation had been confused by the iate release by the Marine Department of the new regulations and manufacturers had riot been sure if set nets would still be permitted and so cut back production. Fislu ermen too were not anxious to buy. It was not anticipated the shortage would last long. Nets are again being produced.