Whitebaiters start early but net little

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 1

Whitebaiters start early but net little

Some whitebaiters may not be aware that the Ministry of Fisheries has yielded to the pleas of fishermen and allowed the 1985 whitebaiting season to open a month early on the east coast of the South Island. There was plenty of room on Canterbury rivers when the season officially opened yesterday, but the pickings were thin. Most whitebaiters at the Waimakariri rivermouth could count their ’bait on the fingers of one hand after several hours fishing. The Ministry agreed to open the season a month early after mounting pressure from Canterbury whitebaiters who believe that some of the best “runs” occur before the traditional opening date of September 1. The season will last for

four months, instead of the usual 2% months, making it the longest since controls. West Coast whitebaiters are not so lucky. The season there will be the same as usual. Although it has allowed a longer whitebaiting season, the Ministry can only guess at the amount of whitebait caught in New Zealand. “The figure of 160 tonnes a season has been bandied about, but there is really no way to verify it,” said a Ministry spokesman yesterday. Whitebait may not be classed as a commercial fishery, but it is a commercial business. Whitebait sold for up to $4O for 500 gm in Christchurch fish shops last year, and is likely to cost more this year.