WHITEBAIT REGULATIONS SIMPLIFIED AND REVISED

Evening Star, Issue 26138, 27 June 1947, Page 8

WHITEBAIT REGULATIONS SIMPLIFIED AND REVISED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 26. The Whitebait Fishing Regulations, gazetted to-night, consolidate. and revise the regulations which, with many amendments, have been in force since 1942. The old regulations, in attempt-, ing to prescribe specifically for a host' of particular practices and localities, became too and complicated, and the new regulations simplify the procedure by- applying more generally than hitherto and basing the fishing, rules on two particular features—the size of nets and the number of nets. In the North Island, the season has been extended by advancing the. former closing date of November 14 to November 30. and the South Island season will continue to be between August 8 and December 15. No distinction is now made between set nets and hand nets, but the size of the nets allowed is clearly set out for either general use or for particular rivers. An important feature of the new regulations is that no person may use more than one net except in those places where more than one was previously permitted. Where a net is left unattended it must be removed from the water, and fishing in the vicinity of floodgates and weirs has been prohibited. This latter prohibition is imposed primarily because of mischief and damage in those areas, and secondly to spread the fishing more equitably among fishermen, as such areas are usualh '-on+n~o noints.