WHITEBAIT NETTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 11

WHITEBAIT NETTING.

"ADDING JO UNEMPLOYED."

THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS.

DUNEDIN CANNER'S ATTACK*

■" (I is unfortunate tliat those in charge of I lie Ix'cw Zealand Fisheries Departnient have no idea of the thousands of people who earn their daily bread by whitebait fishing during the season," said Mr. W. Stevenson, of Dunedin,

managing director of the Irvine Stevenson (St. George) Company, Ltd., in commenting in Auckland yesterday on Iho proposed whitebait regulations. Mr. Stevenson, whoso firm has whitebait canneries in the Waikato and at Ilokitika, Ureymouth, Westport and Dunedin, said he wished to applaud the views expressed in the Hehalp yestcrdav.

'"At a time when uneiiiployinent is rife," Mr. .Stevenson continued, " it, is little short of scandalous for the Fisheries Depart merit to wish to add tu the ranks of tho unemployed. Those who have canned whitebait for many years should have a better idea than anyone else whether restrictions are necessary, and tliev say emphatically that they are neither necessary nor practicable. Nature, by periodically sending a season of bad weather looks after the fish supply, since whitebait are not caught in rough weather and arc therefore left free to breed in their millions. AVlieu Hie regulations were brought forward last year they occasioned indignation meetings in all the whitebait centres of the Dominion, and the matter was promptly dropped. " The chief trouble appears to be that there, is a big Government Fishery Department with nothing to do, and unless tlio members stir up some trouble the Government pruning knife is likely to become busy in it. To put the matter in a nutshell it appears to bo a case of 'either you lose your job or 1 lose mine.' For about. 30 years the chief occupation of the Fisheries Department lias been the Introduction of salmon into New Zealand as ;i foniinerci.il proposition. \ot there are no .salmon commercially, nor arc there likely to be any. Is it to be wondered then * t h.it the Government Fisheries Department fears the pruning knife?