WHITEBAIT FISHING

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31782, 12 September 1968, Page 16

WHITEBAIT FISHING

Society Wants Control The North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society will offer to take over the ranging of whitebait fishing from the Marine Department The department was supposed to police the whitebaitfishing regulations but was doing nothing about it, said Mr G. Ferris, when the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society met last evening. He suggested the society should ask the department to hand over policing. "The positioa is haywire at the present time,” he said. Mr A. Richards said he was against the fish committee’s recommendation that when the approach was made to the Marine Department, it should include a suggestion that the department make available fina nee for the society to do the work. “We should be able to finance! this. It's to our own advantage,” he said. “Nothing Done” Dr D. McK. Dickson said nothing had been done about the regulations—and it was well known that some whitebait'Krs would have a dozen nets out at night. “It’s well known that 251 b of whitebait was sold to the Nortii Island in August. The Marine Department inspectors are totally inadequate. Subject to correction, there are two for the whole of the South Island.”

Mr G. Mugford said that if the society took over control, then there would have to be a nominal fee paid so that fishers could be identified. “It will be most difficult to control if there is no way of identifying people when you go along to try to catch some of those Ned Kellys,” he said. The society decided to make an off er to the Marine Department to take over policing of the whitebait-fishing regulations, and to ask for finance to do the work.