WHITEBAIT SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 81, 2 October 1929, Page 9

WHITEBAIT SUPPLIES

DEPLETION OF KIVERS

3?or some time past there has beesj much discussion, particularly ambngs^ acclimatisation societies, on the ques* .tion of decreased supplies of whitebait m our rivers. The Marine Department sent out a questionnaire to societies and others interested in order to gathW information wherever possible. Ther». is almost a consensus of opinion, say^ the annual report of the Department^ ' that there has been a serious diminu« tion in the run. The Department must naturally consider the points of view of the acclimatisation societies, the.projfessional'whitebait fishermen who supply the market, and the private persons' who fialr'for their own consumption. j ' "It is clear from the information; gathered," the report states, "that steps must be-taken to regulate ; themethods of fishing in such a way as toensure the maintenance of the fishery In many places where the waters are narrow the method of fishing is such; that the running whitebait have very; little chance of escaping- the mots, while in others it is the practice of the Maoris to net the mature inanga on its way to spawning, in large quantities. The escape, both going upstream and coming down, of a sufficient percentage of the fish is essential, and it is necessary that steps should be taken to1 that end. Draft regulations, based on' the information gathered from replies to the questionnaire previously referred to, have been issued to all parties interested for their comment, and this is now coming forward. It is not proposed to make the regulations effective this season except in one case where, owing to the intensive fishing which th^,physical conditions permit, urgent action is necessary; but, in the meantime, full consideration will be given to the representations of those concerned."