FISHING FOR WHITEBAIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19388, 24 July 1926, Page 12

FISHING FOR WHITEBAIT.

QUESTION OF RESTRICTION.

THE SOCIETY CRITICISED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHTJECH,, Friday. " The proposal is a lot of nonsense," was the , comment of a city fish retailer yesterday -when asked his opinion of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society's proposal to prohibit whitebait .fishing after the.end of November, He said that opposition was not likely to come from the retailers, as they would not be seriously affected by the proposed restriction. The fishermen who made their living by catching the whitebait would lose by the scheme. The retailer expressed the opinion that the proposal would not be entertained by the Minister, to whom the society would have to make its appeal. " The man who will be hard hit if the restriction is imposed is the fisherman," he said. " The fisherman is in the hands of the elements at all times. A storm late in November would probably have the effect of forcing the fisherman to wait iintil December before he could make a catch. .

" There was always' the possibility of big shoals of whitebait making belated visits up the rivers. These visits were eagerly awaited by the fishermen, and ito deprive them oi these harvests would be unfair."