WHITEBAIT RESEARCH

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 14

WHITEBAIT RESEARCH

Fishermen’s Aid Sought

The Fisheries Research Divisian of the Marine Department is at present carrying out an investigation of the whitebait fishery as a whole and in particular what causes the fluctuations in catches.

To help with the research, whitebait fishermen will be asked this year to fill out voluntary diaries giving whitebait catches from day to day, river conditions and other information which may help explain why whitebait run in different rivers on the same day and why they run in fluctuating numbers from day to day on the same river. Dr R. M. McDowall, of the division, said that from 1964 to 1967 registered whitebait fishermen were required to submit to the Marine Department monthly returns of their catch, but the legislation was later revoked. “However, a great deal could be learned about the migratory habits of whitebait if, we could obtain reliable and accurate daily records of whitebait catches,” said Dr McDowall.

“To institute this diary scheme, which, we emphasise, is quite voluntary on the part of the fishermen, we will issue to any fisherman so desiring, and to all whitebaiters seeking registration, diary sheets, tide tables, an introductory letter and a questionnaire,” he said. “From my own experience round Haast, I have found that quite a few fishermen have, for their own interest, kept records of their catch for several years. We have obtained copies of several such records which have proved to be very useful to us and we are very keen to obtain any further diaries that may exist. “This information is of vital importance to us if we are to properly understand and manage the whitebait industry and to prevent its further decline,” said Dr McDowall. The sets of diaries and tide tables will be available from Inspectors of Fisheries in Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin and from Fisheries Inspectors appointed by the Marine Department at several locations on the West Coast.