WHITEBAIT FISHING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20405, 6 November 1929, Page 12

WHITEBAIT FISHING.

SUGGESTED RESTRICTIONS. OPPOSITION TO REGULATIONS. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] TUAKAU, Tuesday. The control of whitebait fishing as proposed in the regulations drafted by the Marine Department is not favoured by the firm of Irvine, Stevenson, Limited, which has a whitebait canning factory on the lower reaches of the Waikato River. The Tuakau Town Board is also of opinion ' that the... suggested control is altogether too drastic. A copy of the regulations was received at a meeting of the board last evening from the firm mentioned, which stated that it considered that if brought into force, the regulations would only restrict the whitebait-fishing industry without increasing the supplies of whitebait. The board was asked to express an opinion on the matter'.

The regulations provide that the season for taking whitebait should be from August 14 to November 1, inclusive, and that each person fishing for whitebait for sale should pay a licence fee of 10s a year for the use of a hand net, or £1 a year for the use of a seine net. It is proposed that the catch by any licence holder in any one day shall be limited to two quarts of -whitebait, and that a return shall be made to the Minister of Marine at the end of each season showing the amount of whitebait taken under the licence.

The board decided to suggest to the department that it defer proceeding with the regulations, and that before enforcing any restrictions it have a thorough investigation made of whitebait supplies and the whitebait industry.