Whitebait now $7 a kilo

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 1

Whitebait now $7 a kilo

A good run of whitebait on the West Coast last week has reduced the price in Christchurch to about §7 a kilogram.

Until now, the president of the Christchurch Fish Retailers Federation (Mr B. E. Mather) had not considered the season a good one for whitebait, despite excellent catches in isolated areas, such as Buller.

“But after the good run during the last four days the season may settle down now,” said Mr Mather.

Much of the present catch] was going to the North Is-: land, but once everyone hadi some supplies the price might drop by a further $1 a] kilogram. It was impossible to predict prices accurately because whitebait was sold by auction, and no indication of supply was available because the fishermen lived in the bush and could not be telephoned. At the beginning of the week the price in Christchurch was $lO a kilogram. The minimum price last year was about $5.50 a kilogram but Mr Mather did not expect the price this year to drop to this level because of higher transport costs. Whitebait catches on the east coast had been poor and Mr Mather did not expect them to improve until Labour Week-end. (October 25 to 27).

The season will end on November 30.