WHITEBAIT FISHERIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21937, 22 October 1934, Page 11

WHITEBAIT FISHERIES

NEW REGULATIONS RULES FOR USING NETS The whitebait is probably the tiniest of New Zealand's edible fish, but it is important in last week's Gazette. It has a whole Order-in-Council to itself, thus rivalling the distinction once accorded to Pclorus Jack. The early bird may catch the worm, but not the whitebait, for it is decreed .that "no person shall take or fish for whit-ebait between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise." Whitebait catchers, like gold miners, henceforth must respect one another's claims. It is ordained that "no person shall use a hand-net within a distance of two chains from the net of another person already engaged in fishing with a hand-net, except on the Grey River, where 110 person shall use a hand-net within 12 yards of another person already fishing for whitebait." Possibly to give the whitebait a sporting chance it is further ordered that "no person shall use for taking whitebait in any stream or channel at any place where such stream (or channel) is less than 10 feet in width any setnet or hand-net with a mouth greater than three feet across its largest diameter." Also, in the same strain runs this regulation: "Except in .the Wairarapa district . .no person shall use for whitebait fishing any set net with an inner opening smaller than the front of the net mouth, or is provided with inside flaps or other device by means of which fish may be trapped and retained in the net for an indefinite time."