WHITEBAIT FISHING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20619, 18 July 1930, Page 12

WHITEBAIT FISHING.

PROPOSED REGULATIONS. DIMINUTION Or ; SUPPLIES. 'Io check the diminution of supplies of whitebait the Government his framed proposed tentative regulations which have lieen circulated to interested bodies for criticism. r l he Maoris, claiming rights under t ho Treaty of Waitangi, have recently made representations with regard to the fishing of whitebait by Europeans and the decrease in supplies. A copy of the proposed regulations ' has been forwarded to the Akarana Maori Association. The proposals provide that in the North Island no person shall fish for, take, or be in possession of whitebait for purposes of salo between November 1 and August 14 of Ihe following ye;ir. Fishing for domestic supplies will he confined to handnets, the openings of which must not exreed five square feet, while, the quantity taken a day must not lie more than two quarts. A licence will bo required where whitebait is taken for the purposes of sale, the cost, being 10s where n hand-not is used and £1 where a set net is employed. The use of set. nets will lie permitted subject to certain conditions where the fish is to be. offered for sale. The regulations restrict the use of groynes and current deflectors, while the use of box nets and other devices is prohibited. A hand-net will not. be able to be used within five yards of another hand-net, the. distanco in the case of set nets hrin£ two chains. Different regulations have been framed for the 8011 th Island.