“WHITEBAIT”

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Rare birds threatened by ‘bloody idiots’

By KAY BLUNDELL at Kapiti - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 03 September 2011

HOONING DRIVERS tearing up the beach at Waikanae estuary at the start of the whitebait season are threatening endangered birds, a local conservationist says.

A four-wheel-drive vehicle was written off last weekend when it ploughed into a wetland lagoon at the North Beach end of Waikanae estuary near nesting endangered birds, including wrybills.

District Councillor K. Gurunathan said the four-wheel-drive was sunk head first into the lagoon and, after attempts to get it out failed, it was left with a for-sale sign on it.

Mr Gurunathan said every season whitebaiters used motor vehicles to get to choice whitebaiting sites at the mouth of Waikanae River.

"These genuine fishos are followed by hoons tearing up and down the beach," he said.

Waikanae Estuary Bird Tours spokesman Mik Peryer said responsible whitebaiters drove their vehicles to fishing spots at reasonable speeds but hoons driving four-wheel-drives and trail bikes threatened the wildlife.

"The bloody idiots who drive all over the place and get stuck in the soft sand and do not worry about the birds nesting are the problem."

"Hooning drivers and endangered birds don't mix, but it is very difficult to keep trail bikes and four-wheel-drive vehicles off the sand spit," Mr Peryer said.

Mr Gurunathan said he was concerned genuine fishermen getting to whitebaiting sites at the mouth of Waikanae River were being followed by hoons who used the whitebait season as a cover to tear up and down the beach.

Native birds are not the only inhabitants at the estuary — a seal arrived at a Waimanu lagoon at the estuary about a fortnight ago. The Conservation Department captured it and carried it to nearby Waikanae River last week, but it immediately made its way back to the lagoon and the plentiful fish supply.

Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve is an ecologically sensitive area and studies carried out by DOC a few years ago highlighted the damage cars could do to the ecology.

A ban on vehicles during the whitebait season was recommended but this was not introduced after objections from local iwi.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5557916/Rare-birds-threatened-by-bloody-idiots


Spawning areas critical for whitebait

Tiny and often elusive whitebait remain a popular treat
for New Zealanders. Otago Daily Times Balclutha reporter
Helena de Reus visits a whitebaiting stand on the Clutha River.

By HELENA DE REUS - Otago Daily Times | Saturday, 02 September 2011


CLUTHA RIVER: Kaitangata whitebaiter Robbie Owen — “Once you get a spot, you keep it.”
 — Photo: Craig Baxter.

IF you drive through Kaitangata and towards Summer Hill, you will find the Clutha River dotted with many different kinds of floating structures. Further down the gravel road you drive down a muddy track, passing cows and the odd farm building, before having to abandon the car to continue on foot.

Here on the Matau branch of the Clutha River, is a section favoured by many whitebaiters, only a few kilometres upstream of the river mouth.

Robbie Owen, of Kaitangata, has been whitebaiting on the river for more than 25 years.

He and his wife Sue have a pontoon on the river and try to get out whitebaiting in weekends and after work during the week.

Mr Owen first got the pontoon and his spot on the river from Sue's uncle when he was 17, and has been going out whitebaiting there ever since.

"Once you get a spot, you keep it. We've got a good spot here with the pontoon and on a good year we can sometimes get about 40 pounds [18kg]."

His son Brad goes whitebaiting too, and on a sunny day with the radio playing in the background and a beer, it could not be much better, Mr Owen said.

Unfortunately when I visit the stand, the weather is poor, the wind is bitter, and the whitebait have gone elsewhere.

But that comes with the territory, and makes it clear why whitebaiters have huts.

Four years ago was the best season they had seen, he said.

"Whitebaiting has its good and bad seasons so you just take it as it comes."

And the best way to eat whitebait? In fritters.

Department of Conservation (DoC) freshwater ranger Pete Ravenscroft said the Clutha River was the "No.1" fishery in Otago, but history suggested the river had been an even more impressive fishery in the past.

Increasing the numbers of whitebait — particularly inanga — in rivers was important to protect the native fish and the whitebaiting pastime.

DoC staff had been working with landowners and councils to build up populations in many New Zealand rivers, including the Clutha, with a particular focus on spawning habitat.

The eggs of inanga — tiny native fish which make up most of the whitebait catch — are laid above the normal water level on the moist, grassy banks of rivers and streams. They tended to favour tributaries of larger rivers, such as the Kaitangata Stream.

In March, about 35 farmers attended a field day at Inch Clutha, near Balclutha, to see how fencing protects these habitats. The field day also looked at environmentally beneficial farm practices farmer Dean Gilbert has put in place. They include cambered lane-ways to keep waste from running into drains, yard water diversion and effluent management.

Otago Regional Council land resources officer Alice Webster said inanga needed grassy edges on which to spawn, so where there was no permanent fence, a simple electrified "hot-wire" kept out stock, protecting the eggs from being trampled or eaten by stock. This also helped improve water quality.

Mr Ravenscroft said inanga numbers would increase if people retained or re-established overhanging vegetation along the upper reaches of rivers to give shade and protection; and if downstream riverbanks were undisturbed during spawning time, from January to March. Unlike other fish, whitebait species lay their eggs among vegetation on stream banks during spring tides, leaving them to develop out of water.

The eggs, laid during the high spring tides from January through to May, take a month to hatch before washing out to sea. March is generally the peak time for inanga to spawn on the Clutha River.

DoC was seeking whitebaiters willing to work with the department to help track changes in whitebait population.

University of Canterbury research has found that tens of millions of whitebait eggs die from exposure to sunlight.

Researchers from the Marine Ecology Research Group of the university have studied the effects of UVB radiation on whitebait eggs. Whitebait lay their eggs almost exclusively under riverbank vegetation in tidal areas. Changes to this vegetation greatly affect whitebait breeding grounds.

The researchers showed that reduction in vegetation height and shading led to increased exposure to UVB radiation, greatly reducing egg survival and eventual production of whitebait.

______________________________________

Tips to help whitebait thrive:

• Fence off riverbanks and the edges of streams from stock.

• Keep waterways clean.

• Retain or re-plant overhanging vegetation.

• Stick to fishing hours — 5am to 8pm.

• Only one net per person.

• Fishers must stay within 10m of net at all times.

• Season August 15th to November 30th.

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-otago/176074/spawning-areas-critical-whitebait

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Nets set to capture secretive native fish

Geoff Thomas on Fishing

Weekend Herald | Saturday, 03 September 2011


Many whitebaiters live beside the river
for the season. — Photo: APN.

THE WHITEBAIT SEASON is under way around the country, with the West Coast of the South Island opening two days ago. The rest of the country opened on August 15, and while catches have been slow, the fishing usually improves later in spring.

Whitebaiters are traditionally protective about their spots, which are called stands and can change hands for considerable sums.

The whitebaiting culture is contrary to all other fishing. Many people live on the river side in cabins and baches and caravans for the season, and some make a reasonable income.

The regulations are set and administered by the Department of Conservation, because they involve native fish. But outside of the season and certain netting restrictions and hours when fishing is allowed, whitebaiting is wide open to amateur commercialism. There is no quota. Anybody can catch whitebait and sell them on the side of the road. Of course there are legitimate buyers, but there is no limit on volumes.

Theories abound for the lack of whitebait running at certain times. Some say the tides were not big enough to hatch the eggs, which displays a certain understanding of the biology involved.

That in itself is unusual, for the life story of the little fish is unique. They don't run up the rivers to spawn, as is commonly argued. In fact it is the reverse.

What we know as whitebait are the young of five members of the native galaxiid family — inanga (the most common), banded kokopu, koaro, giant kokopu and short-jawed kokopu. Smelt are often found with them, as are the larger, silver, cucumber-smelling fish which aficionados discard.

The name kokopu is commonly seen on streams, where the road sign will say Kaikokopu Stream, which refers to the traditional values of the stream as a fishery for whitebait in times gone by. Kai says food, and kokopu says whitebait.

Apart from smelt, the adults are secretive fish which are rarely seen and live in swamps and fast-flowing streams and rivers. But they need the natural habitat with bush-clad banks and the clearing of bush from catchments has contributed much to the demise of whitebait. This is why the South Island's West Coast is the premier whitebait region, as much of the original bush and forest remains.

The adult fish migrate downstream in autumn to lay eggs on stream-side grasses and reeds on a high tide, and the eggs are exposed until the next spring tide a month later, when they are inundated, hatch and are swept out to sea.

Another factor affecting the fishery is stock grazing on the stream banks, destroying any eggs. After hatching, the tiny fish grow quickly, but many are eaten by birds and other fish. In spring the juvenile fish migrate back up the rivers and streams as the whitebait we know so well.

Of course not everybody can catch their own whitebait, and many fans rely on fish shops where the price creeps higher every year, topping $200 a kilo in some outlets.

But buyer beware: whitebait is a generic term which is also applied to the young of various saltwater fish, and whitebait which is imported from other countries and sold under the familiar name has no resemblance in taste or appearance to what is regarded as real whitebait. If unsure about the origin of the prospective dinner in the shop window, the price is the best indicator.

We once learned a new recipe in Mokau, home of whitebait on the North Island's west coast. Don't put flour in the mix; it goes gluggy. If you want to bulk it up a bit, use a spoonful of breadcrumbs instead. Chopped parsley can also be added to fritters.

Fishing is permitted between 5am and 8pm, or 6am and 9pm when daylight saving applies. The season runs from August 15 to November 30, except for the West Coast of the South Island, where it is September 01 to November 14. On the Chatham Islands, the season runs from December 01 to February 28.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10749202

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

West Coast's feast of whitebait

By DEIDRE MUSSEN - The Press | Monday, 05 September 2011


PRIZE CATCH: Charlie Eggeling, of Okuru, South Westland,
with a baby's bath and a kerosene tin of whitebait during
the 1950s. — Photo: KEN BIGWOOD ESTATE.

SAYS internationally acclaimed author Keri Hulme, possibly New Zealand's most famous fisher of the world-renowned delicacy: "On the West Coast, catching whitebait isn't a hobby, or a sport, or even a business — it's a religion,"

It was inevitable whitebait became the West Coast's offering for the REAL New Zealand festivals, a nationwide celebration of what Kiwis love the most, timed for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The West Coast Whitebait Festival is packed with events the length of the picturesque region to keep all appetites sated.

One major drawcard is the first large-scale exhibition celebrating whitebait's history.

A remarkable exhibition at Hokitika Museum, WHITEBAIT! The Story of New Zealand's Favourite Fish, takes visitors on an enlightening journey. A short film on Maori kaumatua reminiscing about whitebait, is mixed with its use by European settlers and Chinese gold miners and scientific research and photographs galore. There is even a look at its future.

Museum director Julia Bradshaw says tracing whitebait's rich history has been fascinating. "It's a great West Coast story."

Whitebait was a prized food for Maori, who caught it with sophisticated flax scoop nets.

European settlers followed suit but it was Chinese gold miners who began exporting it in the early 1870s, drying it to send to China. Canning whitebait for export began about two decades later to export it worldwide — to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia.

New Zealand's largest whitebait canning factory was near Haast. Their season record was 60 tonnes.

Bradshaw has uncovered some classic yarns — like the fishers who set up a whitebait operation in remote Big Bay in the 1930s, where sole access was aircraft.

Good old Kiwi ingenuity was tested when they decided to use carrier pigeons to fly to Invercargill to notify the waiting plane that the whitebait catch was ready for collection. But the pigeons failed on their mission — the only one to survive was found in a chicken coop. The plane was late and the huge catch of whitebait went bad. Freezing changed the face of the fishery.

For a contemporary look at whitebaiting, New Zealand photographers Anita Peters and Murray Hedwig spent three years exploring some of the country's major rivers in search of whitebait and their hunters.

The resulting photographs were put onto huge panels for a Christchurch exhibition in in 2009 and will now be displayed at various locations from Westport to Haast.

"We're really thrilled that it's being used again and it's been given to the Coast simply because the Coast is whitebait," Peters says.

"They regard themselves as [living in] the whitebait capital of New Zealand."

And if you fancy catching your own whitebait, the West Coast's whitebait season, which began this month, runs to November 14.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/5563626/West-Coasts-feast-of-whitebait

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Toxic algae in Opihi River

By TRACY MILES - South Canterbury Herald | Wednesday, 07 September 2011


FISHING GONE? The Opihi River could
again be poisoned this summer by the
toxic Phormidium algae, with a dry winter
and low river flows concerning fishermen.

THE OPHIHI RIVER could be unusable for fishing, whitebaiting and swimming, and potentially lethal to dogs again this year due to the toxic phormidium algae, unless spring rains are heavy enough to flush the river out.

"I would say it's going to be the same as last year," Temuka pharmacist, fisherman and member of the Opihi Protection Society, Allan Campbell said.

After the dry winter, and unless a decent rainfall happens in spring, the toxic algae could easily flourish again this summer — as it did earlier this year.

"You wouldn't swim in there, you wouldn't drink from it, and certainly no dogs should go in there. Dogs can die within an hour of ingesting [the algae]."

"As a pharmacist here in Temuka I get kids and adults who have swum in the Opihi in summer time coming in with rashes and [pus in their eyes]."

That was before ECan and the Timaru District Council put out warnings and put up signage about the algae on the Opihi last summer.

The three things that allow the algae to flourish are regulated flow, light, and warm temperatures.

Orari-Opihi-Pareora zone committee chairman Dermott O'Sullivan said the committee was well aware of the problem and it was one of a number of water quality issues that it would be giving priority to.

"There is no doubt the problem is accentuated by continual low flows, but it is too early to say that this will continue to be the case into the spring and early summer," Mr O'Sullivan said.

He said Opuha Water is looking at ways of being able to release higher flushing flows in the medium term. Mr Campbell said a decent flood down the river had not happened since 2002.

He said the river was very important to people in the Temuka district. Pharmacy customers have said they have given up on the Opihi and Temuka rivers in favour of the West Coast for whitebaiting.

"It's something people talk about: ‘Why can't my kids go down and swim in the Opihi? Why can't we whitebait, why can't we eat the fish out of it, and what's being done about it?’ It's a huge recreational loss."

People used to picnic by the river and if their children got a mouthful of water while swimming, it did not matter, he said.

"Those days are gone. How do I tell my grandkids that my grandfather taught me to fish [on the Opihi] but I'm sorry, you can't do that any longer?"

When he was a child, people could not wade across the river at State Highway One.

It had huge boulders and was "always a river that had a lot of water in it," even in summer.

Mr Campbell said he was shocked when he returned to live in South Canterbury in 2001 to see the reduced flows in Canterbury rivers.

"It takes 10 years to bugger it up and you can always say it will take 100 years to fix it but I don't think you ever will now."

He said the algae, introduced to the Opihi from other rivers by wading birds or recreational vehicles, was there to stay, but a flush of flood water would roll stones over and clean up the river bed.

Earlier Ecan policies had failed to protect the health of the river, he said.

Pressure on rivers that come from farming was a New Zealand-wide problem.

The Selwyn, the Little Hinds Stream, the Orari and the Pareora Rivers were all affected by farming.

The Opihi problem starts where the Opuha joins it. The Opihi above the Opuha is in better condition, he said.

Controlled flows made it hard to get a decent flood (from headwaters) down the Opihi. Unless a lot of rain fell locally, it did not happen.

The Temuka River does not have the problems of the Opihi because it is not subject to controlled flows, he said.

Mr Campbell said he was not against the Opuha Dam or irrigation, and valued the South Canterbury economy:

"But how can we fix the problem? Because it's very evident it's the Opuha that contaminates the Opihi. I'm sure there has got to be an answer there".

The water being released from the dam is lower-quality bottom feed water. The lake surface water, however, is better quality and releasing this water was potentially the way forward.

"Once the river has been seeded [with phormidium algae] you will never get rid of it, but we can minimise it."

Mr Campbell said a project to create huge holding ponds on the Rangitata River to capture water for irrigation during high flows was an example of an irrigation system that would not control the flow of the river, and therefore one he favoured.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/communities/5581552/Toxic-algae-in-Opihi-River

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

'Baiting displays on show

The Greymouth Star | Friday, 09 September 2011


ON DISPLAY: G. Doidge Construction contractor Ian Guise puts up
one of the whitebait signs along the flood wall on Mawhera Quay
today. The signs, that depict images of people whitebaiting, have
also been put up at Shantytown and in Kumara as part of the
West Coast whitebait Festival. — Photo: NICHOLAS McBRIDE.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/baiting-displays-show

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebaiter dies near Westport

Whitebaiters tried to revive woman

By MICHELLE COOKE - Fairfax Media | Saturday, 10 September 2011

TWO whitebaiters have died on the West Coast within the last 24 hours.

A woman slipped and knocked her head while fishing at the Waimangaroa River mouth, north of Westport this morning, police confirmed.

Granity police Constable John Woodward said the woman, in her forties, was discovered by other whitebaiters who tried unsuccessfully to revive her.

Ambulance staff also rushed to the scene, a St John spokesman said.

He said the woman was found dead upon arrival.

Woodward said police were still trying to reach the woman's next of kin.

Another woman, who had just been whitebaiting, died yesterday afternoon after she fell off her bicycle on to concrete in Westport.

Diana Jane Perriton, 50, had been whitebaiting near the Westport wharf with her partner yesterday afternoon.

She had cycled a short distance before veering over a ledge and falling about 1.5 metres on to concrete in Gladstone Street at about 1.30pm.

She suffered serious head injuries in the fall and was taken to Westport Hospital for treatment before being airlifted to Christchurch. She died en route.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5600111/Whitebaiter-dies-near-Westport

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait exhibition hailed

By CHERYL RILEY - The Greymouth Star | Monday, 12 September 2011


OPENING: The crowd at the kick-off of the Whitebait Exhibition
at the Hokitika Museum.

KICK-OFF TIME for New Zealand’s biggest rugby event on Friday night was preceded by kick-off time for the country’s first large-scale exhibition celebrating the nation’s most loved little fish, whitebait.

The crowd that packed into the Hokitika Museum for the opening was larger than expected. The exhibition opening began at 5.30pm, mindful of the start of the Rugby World Cup opener at 7.45pm.

Ngati Waewae kaumatua Ben Hutana thanked museum director Julia Bradshaw and her team before blessing the exhibition.

After Westland Mayor Maureen Pugh and kaumatua Hilda Tainui cut the ribbon the crowd entered the Carnegie Gallery and mingled among the exhibits, where the enigmatic whitebait and equally enigmatic whitebaiters were sensitively portrayed with honour and respect.

In exploring the world of whitebait over the past 10 months, Ms Bradshaw learned the early West Coast whitebaiters were survivors with unequalled Kiwi ingenuity and unequalled understanding of the ‘bush telegraph’ system.

In the corner of a replica whitebaiter’s hut a short film runs depicting West Coast Maori kaumatua reminiscing about whitebaiting, mixed with European settlers, Chinese gold miners and scientific research.

Canterbury University marine science professor David Schiel was at the opening and he was full of praise for the exhibition, saying that apart from being well presented the exhibition was a mine of information.

“There is still a lot to know about whitebait,” he said.

The exhibition will be open at the Carnegie Gallery throughout the Rugby World Cup. Entry is free.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebait-exhibition-hailed

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Breeding incentive for whitebait

By JAY BOREHAM - Taranaki Daily News | Thursday, 15 September 2011


WHITEBAIT-FRIENDLY: One of the fish-
friendly floodgates installed in Taranaki
by the Department of Conservation.
 — CAMERON BURNELL/Taranaki Daily News.

WHITEBAIT NUMBERS are expected to climb around Oakura and Waitara rivers following the installation of fish-friendly floodgates.

The Department of Conservation has installed new gates which will stay open longer, allowing more fish to get upstream and breed.

DOC technical support officer Rosemary Miller said whitebaiters would be pleased there would now be more habitat for the whitebait to get to.

"And then more of them will grow up to spawn and produce more whitebait next year."

Not only did the old structures block the whitebait's passage, they provided a smorgasbord for predators like bigger fish and shags as the whitebait congregated below them.

"Life's pretty hard for the old whitebait, they have got to dodge a whole lot of issues," she said.

The floodgates, positioned just above the Oakura and Waitara rivermouths, also allow more salt water to flow upstream, killing freshwater weeds and creating better conditions for whitebait breeding.

People also needed to be aware there were five different species of whitebait, Ms Miller said.

"Some of them can't swim terribly well so they just take up residence in the lower coastal catchments and some swim all the way up to the mountain."

Keen whitebaiters should keep an eye out for other obstructions further up waterways or manmade structures that would stop fish from carrying on up the river, she said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/5627142/Breeding-incentive-for-whitebait

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

No stopping a whitebait fancier on the day

By LUCY IBBOTSON - Otago Daily Times | Monday, 19 September 2011


FUN: Getting into the whitebait theme are Haast Playgroup
children (from left) Jessica Todd (3) and twins Scott
and Tessa Norton (4). — Photo: by Lucy Ibbotson.

THE LURE of West Coast whitebait proved a powerful promotional tool despite the persistent rain that fell during the town's Haast Whitebait Cook-off Challenge and Family Fun Day on Saturday, with dozens of Haast residents and tourists supporting the inaugural event.

Organised by the Haast Promotions Group and held at the Heartland World Heritage Hotel, the day was part of the broader West Coast Whitebait Festival, which is being run for the first time this year as part of the Real New Zealand Festival.

Children from the Haast Playgroup and Haast Primary School paraded in whitebait-themed costumes, whitebait fritters were made on site and stalls, a chocolate wheel and bouncy castle also featured.

The cook-off, which involved whitebait patty and menu challenge categories for children and adults.

The day concluded with an evening meal, featuring guest speaker John Sturgeon, of Greymouth, a past All Blacks manager and immediate past-president of the New Zealand Rugby Union.


FINAL WORD: Judges in the inaugural Haast Whitebait Cook-off Challenge and Family Fun Day
on Saturday (from left) Kerry Eggeling, of Haast, Dominic Moran, of Christchurch,
Mary Sturgeon, of Greymouth, Carl Baker, of Haast, and John Sturgeon, of Greymouth.
 — Photo: by Lucy Ibbotson.

Event co-organiser Moana Kerr said the day was about "putting Haast on the map" and getting the community "working together".

She hoped the event could become an annual highlight on the West Coast calendar.

The group had hoped to resurrect a giant frying pan which was made for a failed world record attempt at making the biggest whitebait patty about 16 years ago in Haast.

However, repair work needed on the pan was considerable, and it was likely it would play a major role in next year's event instead, Mrs Kerr said.

West Coast Whitebait Festival project co-ordinator Dominic Moran, of Christchurch, was a judge in the cook-off component of the event and praised its organisers for their efforts.

"I'm rapt with the way the Haast community has really taken hold of this. It's just absolutely fantastic from my perspective that they've all come in behind it and responded to the call," Mr Moran said.

"I think they've got a chance to really take ownership of whitebait as a festival theme. The community doubles in size during whitebait season and it's a great time to be attracting visitors."

Mr Moran was keen to see the festival return next year.

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/haast/178319/no-stopping-whitebait-fancier-day

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Southern delicacies RWC tourist draw

By JOHN LEWIS - Otago Daily Times | Wednesday, 21 September 2011


DELICACY: Harbour Fish store manager Nancy Anderson with a scoop of West Coast whitebait.
 — Photo: Jane Dawber.

RUGBY WORLD CUP tourists looking to try the South's seafood delicacies are creating a "splurge" in revenue for a local seafood distributor.

Harbour Fish owner and manager Aaron Cooper said yesterday whitebait and Karitane crayfish were in good supply, and the reopening of the Bluff oyster beds for the Rugby World Cup was bringing many tourists through the doors.

Whitebait, mainly from the West Coast, was being netted in similar amounts to last year and was selling for $12 per 100 grams.

However, Mr Cooper said Bluff oysters, selling for $26.50 a dozen, were most popular.

The oyster beds had been reopened during the Rugby World Cup, at the Government's request, so tourists could try some of the southern delicacy.

"It's been particularly busy around the weekends when the games are on. We're having a good splurge in revenue."

The West Coast whitebait season runs from September 01 to November 14, and the Bluff oyster season will close on October 23.

http://www.odt.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2011/rwc-latest-news/178737/southern-delicacies-rwc-tourist-draw

[nitpicker1]

   casting pearls before swine 

 how many outlets offering Bluff oysters down this way? 

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Southland's wonderful whitebait

By NICCI MCDOUGALL - The Southland Times | Tuesday, 27 September 2011


IN ABUNDANCE: Southland 'baiters are reporting corker catches.

THE TIDE has turned for some Southland whitebaiters, who are experiencing their "best season ever".

Whitebaiters have been hauling the tiny fish in by the bucketload — in stark contrast to last year's unsuccessful season and despite scientists' concerns of a whitebait decline.

The whitebait season opened in Southland on August 15 and closes on November 30.

Lifelong whitebaiter Eddie Halder, who fishes on the Aparima River, said yesterday the season was his best yet, even though it was only halfway through.

He said he had almost "blitzed" his record of 180 pounds after catching 160 pounds already.

"I've never seen a season like it," Mr Halder said.

David Uitentuis, who fishes on the Waihopai River, said being out in some cold weather was worth it after he caught about 3 pounds yesterday morning.

"I've been whitebaiting most of my life and this is one of the better seasons ... the rivers aren't as bad as everybody thinks," he said.

It was a complete turnaround from last year, he said.

Southland Recreational Whitebaiters Association president Brett Pearce said he had to use a wheelbarrow to transport 60 pounds of whitebait he caught in the Mataura River at the weekend.

"We said 2011 was going to be our season, and it's happening," he said.

While strong catches had whitebaiters smiling, the season had started on a sour note when whitebaiters were sent a letter from Environment Southland telling them the annual monitoring fee had doubled from about $40 to $95 and it had to be paid to cover inspectors' time following up on structures built outside compliance guidelines.

Since then, there had been discussions between parties and plans for better communication had been implemented, Mr Pearce said.

"Now Environment Southland and the Southland Whitebaiters Association are on terms that they'll talk to us," he said.

Both parties agreed things needed to be done differently and they planned to keep in contact and meet each year to discuss what was coming up, he said.

Environment Southland compliance manager Mark Hunter said fees had increased because the level of compliance had dropped in the past year.

If compliance improved, the costs would come down again, he said.

"We're trying to be reasonable and the whitebaiters are trying to be reasonable as well, which is fantastic, it's great. If we talk to each other in the future and make sure we're one on one, then we can avoid some of the conflict in future," Mr Hunter said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5688924/Southlands-wonderful-whitebait


'Baiting death questions linger

By KATHRYN POWLEY - APNZ | Tuesday, 27 September 2011

THE FAMILY of a former Tauranga woman who died whitebaiting on the West Coast may never know what really happened to her.

Adrienne Helen Dusseldorp, 49, had been living at Waimangaroa, near Westport, with her partner of nine years Stuart Smith, also originally from Tauranga. She was found floating in the Waimangaroa River on September 10 after an early morning solo whitebaiting trip.

The couple had made a bit of extra money catching the delicacy last year. Fresh whitebait is currently selling for about $50 for half a kilo through on-line retailers. Nine people drowned whitebaiting between January 01, 2001 and December 31, 2010 including three on the West Coast, according to Water Safety New Zealand.

Mr Smith said that on the morning she died, Ms Dusseldorp had dropped him off at 5.15am to catch his bus to work as a digger driver at the Stockton Mine.

They had given each other a kiss goodbye and said “see you tonight” before she headed down to the river, aiming to get the set net into the water by about 6am.

“We don’t actually know what went wrong.” Mr Smith said. “She’s tripped over and given herself a good crack on the lips then she’s gone and had a lie down in the shelter. There’s quite a bit of blood there.”

The shelter was where they liked to sit together and have a fry-up on mornings while the net was out. Mr Smith said she had set the net alone 30 or 40 times before so she knew what she was doing.

Mr Smith said: “People saw her about 7.45am down by the net, and then about 8.15am they saw a body floating in the water. They tried resuscitating her but with no joy.”

He thought she must have decided to pull it in and go home after hurting herself.

A preliminary autopsy report had come back showing Ms Dusseldorp’s injury was not due to foul play and the likely cause of death was drowning.

Westport detective Mal Haughey confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances around her death.

The couple had moved to the West Coast from Tauranga five years ago seeking a better lifestyle, and had made the most of the outdoors, enjoying hunting, fishing, camping. She worked as a cleaner and caretaker at the local school and he said all the children loved her.

Mr Smith described her as a caring, outgoing, honest hard worker and mother. “If you needed help with anything, she’d help you. We took in quite a lot of kids who were having problems and took them under our wing.”

Ms Dusseldorp is survived by her parents Bert and Trudy, brother Andrew, four adult children and five grandchildren.

Trudy Dusseldorp said her daughter had been happy in her new life on the Coast.

“It was a tragic accident. You can’t figure it out, and it plays through your mind all the time.”

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/baiting-death-questions-linger

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Lake Onoke wave hits whitebaiters

By SEAMUS BOYER - Wairarapa Times-Age | Saturday, 01 October 2011


ALARM: Waves at Lake Onoke on the South Wairarapa
coast. Several whitebaiters were washed into the
water after a freak wave struck.

A GROUP of Wairarapa whitebaiters are lucky to be alive after being swept into Lake Onoke by a freak wave.

The whitebaiters were fishing on the spit at the mouth of the lake on Wednesday when a freak wave smashed over the bar and washed several towards the water.

Lake Ferry Hotel owner Mary Tipoki said she was serving lunch and saw at least two men washed into the lake.

"The wave came right over the sand bar — it was a huge, huge wave — and just washed them into the lake," she said.

"We thought we'd better call the rescue helicopter because we've seen this before."

But she said it seemed one whitebaiter was able to pull the men from the water using a long scoop net.

"They were very lucky. It was just like watching something on TV really. It gives you that uneasy feeling," Ms Tipoki said.

The mouth of the lake had closed regularly because of sand build-up caused by high seas since the season began on August 15. It was shut yesterday. "We've had some extremely big seas over the last month and people just need to be aware that the sea is not very forgiving," she said.

Veteran whitebaiter Cathy Garrity, of Carterton, said scooping at the mouth was more hazardous than setting nets further inland along the shores of the lake.

Mrs Garrity said she had heard on the grapevine of heavy swells and rogue waves in the past few days.

People who chose to scoop at the mouth should be aware they were at risk if they felt sand being pulled out from under their feet. Despite the incident, whitebait may finally be running hot in Wairarapa.

Mrs Tipoki said she had heard reports of some giant whitebait hauls — the biggest a whopping 27kg — although she said that could not be verified.

But keen Masterton whitebaiter Noel Preston said he had been out twice with a group of mates and caught next to nothing.

"As far as we're concerned it hasn't gone very well," he said.

"The first time we didn't even put the nets out, even though it was a lovely day because the lake wasn't even moving."

"The second time we got a tiny bit, I suppose half a pound, but there wasn't enough to share so we gave it all to one of the jokers to get a couple of fritters out of."

http://www.times-age.co.nz/news/rogue-wave-scare/1122863

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Jail term for illegal whitebating

Radio New Zealand News | Thursday, 06 October 2011

THE FIRST PRISON TERM has been handed down for illegal whitebaiting to an Opotiki man who also threatened Department of Conservation rangers.

Peter Warren, 57, had been remanded in custody for 10 weeks since being found guilty on six charges of taking whitebait illegally and two of threatening Department of Conservation rangers.

On Thursday, the Opotiki District Court jailed him for eight months.

Warren took about 10kg of whitebait from the Huntress Creek floodgate three times in August and September last year.

DoC's programme manager of biodiversity assets in Gisborne and Whakatane, James Holborow, says rangers found Warren fishing on three occasions within 20 metres of a floodgate, giving the whitebait very little chance.

Warren was not present in court on Thursday.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/87600/jail-term-for-illegal-whitebating

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait a bit on the light side

Ashburton Guardian | Saturday, 08 October 2011


NOT MUCH: Whitebaiter Marty Houlden chasing
the elusive fish at the Rakaia River mouth.

WHITEBAIT PATTIES at South Rakaia Huts are only sparsely dotted with their namesake ingredient.

While residents are pleased they are beginning to catch some of the first whitebait of the season, they wish there was more.

Resident Marty Houlden said he had caught just one dozen fish altogether up until yesterday, when he was out on the riverbank again with his nets.

Late last month Mr Houlden had promised to drive around the camp tooting if he caught so much as one.

After a prized catch of six of the miniature fish, he did this, and there has since been the odd extra angler joining him with their nets and gear.

Mr Houlden drives to the rivermouth and sits by his set nets for a good four to five hours, having a cup of tea and a bite to eat.

He put the late start to the season down to the river's temperature remaining colder than usual for this time of year.

The prized small fish are caught as they swim from the sea into the narrow river mouth.

"It's hard work for them as well," Mr Houlden said.

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/news/todays-news/5420-whitebait-a-bit-on-the-light-side.html

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

West Coast whitebaiters happy with catch

By MATT KERSTEN - APNZ | Tuesday, 11 October 2011


'BAIT SEASON: The whitebait are running in the Grey River.

GREYMOUTH WHITEBAITERS were all smiles yesterday with a steady run on the morning tide.

Some of those scooping near the Cobden Bridge were rewarded with hauls of two or three bucketsful, while others spread along the Mawhera Quay floodwall also enjoyed some good catches of a bucket or more.

Department of Conservation Greymouth programme manager biodiversity Brad Edwards said most people fishing on the Grey River were "going home with a feed".

"We've seen the ‘Big Rock’ fishing well, they usually get good catches there when other people are getting a few."

He said there had been some confusion around the legal whitebaiting hours due to daylight saving: "The hours are now 6am to 9pm."

South Westland rivers have also seen some action, with one catch over 100kg in an "undisclosed location'' south of Haast in the past couple days.

The Curly Tree Whitebait Company, based at the Waita River north of Haast, buys whitebait from throughout South Westland for freighting to buyers around New Zealand.

Owner Tony Kerr said the season was already much better than last year.

"We've been buying all season, I don't know how much longer we'll go because our freezers are almost full. Last season we didn't have enough, but this season has turned around the other way — I wouldn't say we've got too much, but we've certainly got more."

Mr Kerr said catches had been steady, and he credited the fine weather with the turnaround in fishing fortunes.

Heavy rain in the south today meant most baiters had taken the day off.

"The weather's been outstanding. We probably need the rain because the rivers are getting a bit skinny (blocked), that's how good it's been. I'd say we'll keep the fish coming for the rest of this moon."

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/181749/west-coast-whitebaiters-happy-catch


In search of the perfect whitebait recipe

Associate editor Peter Bingham and fish guru
Peter Bennett try two different recipes.

By PETER BINGHAM - Taranaki Daily News | Tuesday, 11 October 2011


YUM: The legendary whitebait fritter.

IT'S THE SEASON for whitebait and the delicacy has been running.

Whitebaiting brings out the best No.8 wire ingenuity in Kiwis.

Catching the "white gold" requires skills that vary from river to river and at $120 a kilogram (retail) it's big business for some, particularly in the South Island.

In Taranaki it's a seasonal pastime for most and largely the domain of people at the back end of their working lives. Big catches on our more popular rivers can provide a financial return (either over or under the table) but for the majority it's just the chance of catching a few cups of the delicacy that drives them.

Some of the private stands on the Mokau and Tongaporutu rivers are works of art and some of the mechanisms used for getting nets in and out of the river deserve patenting.

The "bloody good nature" of some whitebaiters is the often the source of a feed for many of us.

The fine chaps at Egmont Seafoods (ESL) sort of fall into that category. They don't get to fish the tide but they do know someone who knows plenty of others who do. Cascade Whitebait, based on the West Coast of the South Island, is their supplier of both fresh and frozen.

"People get hung up on the price but we kept ours as low as possible," Peter Bennett said. "We only make about $20 a kilo but people like them so we get them in. Pound for pound they're still cheaper than oysters."

ESL sells 20kg to 30kg a week and you can buy them in an assortment of pack sizes.

They're interesting critters, whitebait. There are five varieties but the most common is Galaxias maculatus (inanga) which is a market favourite because of its transparency.

Everybody seems to have their personal recipe for cooking whitebait so we decided on the "battle of the Petes" this week.

Pete Bennett cooked a feed for his workers (and the bank manager who just happened to time his visit to perfection). It was a simple recipe that produced a nice thick fritter served on an english muffin. He placed a dollop of fritter mix (see recipe) in a ring on a hot plate and cooked it until the whitebait on top of the fritter turned white.

"The rings are an efficient way of making a consistent fritter and you don't have to flip them. They fit perfectly on a muffin."

He insists on using free-range eggs "because of their wholesome deep colour" and ESL gets a ready supply from the Okato business of Barry and Ruth Proffitt.

Driven by a need to try something different, I decided to sautee mine. This was new territory and proved more finicky than the "riverbank" method where you whisk a couple of eggs with enough whitebait to make a juicy fritter. But it was a novel alternative and served on a bed of fluffy potato mash, garnished with lemon zest, salt, pepper and parsley. The taste of the whitebait seemed more pronounced but it was too easy to eat them in haste. Fritters last longer.

The secret to the taste was to cook them only until they turned white. Too long and they become toothpicks.

______________________________________

BING'S SAUTEED WHITEBAIT

Ingredients:

• 250gm of whitebait
• garlic butter
• flour
• parsley
• salt and pepper

Method:

• These are best cooked in half-cup servings.

• For each serving thoroughly drain the whitebait and spread them out on a dry teatowel. Lightly sprinkle flour over the whitebait and lift the corners of the towel to ensure an even coating.

• After removing the excess flour, place the coated whitebait into a hot fry pan containing the melted garlic butter. Use a slice to toss the fish until they just turn white. This will only take a few seconds.

• You can serve them as you go and they are perfect on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes and grated lemon rind.

• Garnish the finished dish with lemon juice, salt, pepper and parsley.

______________________________________

PETE'S WHITEBAIT FRITTER ON TOASTED ENGLISH MUFFIN

Ingredients:

• 250 grams of whitebait
• 1 free range egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sprig finely chopped parsley — (optional)
• egg rings or similar — (approx 75mm diameter x 10mm high)
• packet of english muffins
• 1 lemon

Method:

• Beat egg with vigour. Add salt, pepper and parsley and beaten egg into the whitebait and gently fold through as though you were massaging a sore shoulder.

• Cut the muffin through the middle, lightly butter and put face down into hot pan or skillet.

• Place your egg rings or whatever on the hotplate and spoon in the whitebait mixture to the desired amount. If you don't have rings, don't worry, these are only to keep the shape consistent.

• Cook until the top bait is white through — should be about 3 to 5 minutes.

• Place the fritters on top of the muffin, sprinkle some more salt and pepper to taste and squeeze a small amount of lemon juice to zing the taste buds.

• Makes six muffin-sized fritters.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/life-style/5767220/In-search-of-the-perfect-whitebait-recipe

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Charges laid over illegal nets

By SCOT MACKAY - The Southland Times | Wednesday, 12 October 2011

THREE PEOPLE are facing court action in Southland after Conservation Department operations to catch illegal whitebaiters.

DOC's Murihiku compliance and law enforcement ranger, Kelwyn Osborn, led a team of four in a covert operation to the mouth of Wakapatu Stream, about 20 kilometres west of Riverton yesterday after reports of people illegally setting multiple nets in the stream.

Mr Osborn said the DOC operation had zero tolerance for non-compliance and two nets were found unattended, but the owners were not caught.

However, three people were being prosecuted for illegal whitebaiting this season after being caught with nets longer than the permitted six metres at the Mataura River. They faced a maximum fine of $5000, he said.

A further 10 people had received warnings, he said.

Small teams of about four DOC staff had patrolled Southland rivers at least once a week since the season began on August 15, and a night operation was carried out last week. No-one had been caught during that operation, he said.

DOC had a difficult time catching people because whitebaiters were often warned of DOC approaching and had time to remove their gear from the river, Mr Osborn said.

However, the operations would continue so DOC could make sure the rules were obeyed and to protect the fishery from being overfished, he said.

"We are not there to put the fear of God [into them] and threaten them. It is just good to be seen out patrolling," Mr Osborn said.

Meanwhile, DOC principal compliance officer Alan Christie said several banks built to divert whitebait, were kicked down yesterday because people were not allowed to alter the shape of the river to catch them.

"We have got to give the whitebait a fighting chance," he said.

THE RULES

The whitebait season is open between August 15 and November 30 throughout New Zealand, except the West Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Islands.

Fishing is permitted only between 5am and 8pm, or between 6am and 9pm when daylight saving is observed.

No fishing gear should exceed more than one-third of the water channel width, be used in conjunction with another person's gear to exceed more than one-third of the channel, or exceed six metres in length.

Nets must have a mouth no larger than 4.5 metres and framing material must be no wider than 120 millimetres.

No person shall set or use more than one whitebait net at a time and the whitebaiter must remain within 10 metres of the net.

Fishing gear must be removed from the water at the end of fishing or the end of the day.

Persons breaching these regulations may be fined up to $5000.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5770688/Charges-laid-over-illegal-nets

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait as elusive as profit from Twitter

By MIKE O'DONNELL - The Dominion Post | Monday, 17 October 2011


SCARCE: Whitebait (and Twitter profit).

IT IS unlikely that 2011 will be remembered as our best whitebait season. Despite early reports of catches of more than 50 kilograms in Southland, the white gold has failed to materialise in any volume in Canterbury or the lower North Island. Mind you, whitebaiters are so darn secretive you wouldn't necessarily know if they were getting chilly-bin sized catches.

I've been out three times this season to my favourite spot on the Kapiti Coast, keen to see my six-year-old have the joy of lifting her finely made Temuka scoop net and finding a percolating mass of silver inanga in the corner.

But so far it has just been ones and twos, and in line with our family rule, we put them back if there's not enough for a feed.

Like most kinds of angling, optimism and anxiety are present in equal measures when whitebaiting. However, between lifts of the net there's plenty of time to enjoy the smell of the river, the melodic roll of the waves and the company of the diverse group that converge on the riverbed in the early morning.

Beneficiaries line up with bankers, pensioners with panelbeaters, all equal beneath their oilskins and thigh waders.

Whitebaiters typically have five main pieces of kit — a net, some screens (known as gobys), a scoop, a bucket and some markers.

The markers are lengths of white plastic or metal that lie in front of your net so you are able to see the all-but- invisible bait gliding in.

The two key qualities of a marker are that they are white and dense enough to lie on the river bottom.

Some people paint warratahs for this purpose, but the most popular (although unlawful) markers are the white plastic New Zealand Transport Agency roadside markers with red rectangles on top.

Although they are nominally designed to help keep motorists on the road, they are stunningly effective as underwater whitebait indicators, providing a great background against which the sneaky inanga become immediately visible.

The dichotomy between what a product was ostensibly designed for, and what people end up using it for is one of the main challenges facing the leadership team at Twitter, as they race to make the wildly popular site a mildly profitable business.

To help meet this challenge, Twitter has brought back its original founder, Jack Dorsey, who like Apple's Steve Jobs, got the executive boot from the company he created.

Originally a courier driver, Dorsey went on to study software engineering before setting up a company in 2000 which would harness the web to dispatch ambulances, fire services, taxis and couriers.

After getting interested in instant messaging technology he developed the idea for an SMS-based social network. He then quickly moved it to being a web- based service in 2006 and called it Twitter.

After a couple of years of remarkable growth, Dorsey was deposed in a coup in 2008 by Twitter's first funder and chairman Evan Williams, who became chief executive.

Although Williams was a more comfortable face for the company, he lacked Dorsey's product experience and network understanding. As a result, Williams got the heave-ho and new chief exective Dick Costolo wasted little time in bringing Dorsey back earlier this year, nominally as executive chairman but more significantly as chief product-meister.

Dorsey and Costolo now have three huge questions to answer: What is Twitter, how do you make its millions of 140 character messages more accessible, and how do you evolve it into being a profitable business?

While supposedly a less verbose form of Facebook, the fact is that Twitter is now first and foremost an online distribution mechanism. In a flash it has become a combination news wire, sales channel and attitudinal pulse taker. It's also pretty handy if you're trying to topple an Arabic dictator. The trick is trying to tie that together into what a marketer calls a consumer proposition.

And while is does do a heck of a good job of taking the pulse of people or a country on issues of the day, much of this gets lost among the mind-numbing dross of people tweeting about the coffee they are about to drink or the toilet visit it results in. This task of improving accessibility and bubbling relevant content to the top is far from being successfully delivered.

Three years ago Twitter was able to laugh off profitability saying it wasn't important to it. A year later it seemed to have been more prepared to entertain the possibility when it entered into search syndication agreements with Bing and Google that netted them US$25 million (NZ$31m).

Subsequently it launched Twitter "promoted product" advertising last year, which according to eMarketer should deliver them US$139m this year.

But apparently that's still not enough to make Twitter profitable in the long term.

Considering its shareholders have invested nearly $1 billion into Twitter over five years, it's likely that this pressure will increase rather than decrease in future.

The trick will be delivering that monetisation without killing the wonderfully anarchic energy of the channel that makes it so addictive.

Otherwise the investors might wake up to find the tweeters have been over-harvested by the marketers. A bit like the whitebait on the Kapiti Coast.

• Mike "MOD" O'Donnell is a professional director, author and eCommerce manager. His Twittter hashtag is modsta and next whitebait season he's heading to Haast.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/5795840/Whitebait-as-elusive-as-profit-from-Twitter

[Magoo]

A friend has been having great success this year and has shared his bounty with us.  So far we have had 2kgs.      Nice in a sandwich with lots of pepper and salt.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

I've been pigging out on whitebait fritters from the Hooked On Seafood fish 'n' chips shop at Wellington Railway Station. Their 'bait fritters are huge and are all whitebait with just a tiny amount of batter to bind them together.

Mind you, it's dangerous having that available....fortunately it is only seasonal, otherwise I'd most likely get fat! 

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait exhibition a winner

By ANDREW ASHTON - The Greymouth Star | Tuesday, 18 October 2011


WINNER: The whitebait exhibition at the Hokitika Museum.

THE national whitebait exhibition at the Hokitika Museum has been credited with pulling in record numbers of visitors.

Whitebait! The Story of New Zealand’s Favourite Fish, part of the West Coast-wide Whitebait Festival, opened in early September and museum director Julia Bradshaw said just under 4000 people had visited since then.

“The museum has had record numbers of people coming to see the whitebait exhibition. This September we recorded the highest figures for the month of September since records began in 1994.”

Altogether, 2157 people went through the doors last month, whereas normally it would see no more than 700 or 800.

The exhibition closes, along with the West Coast whitebait season, on November 14.

“We are only halfway through October and already this month we have had 2000 people. It has been fantastic for us, it is great that so many people have seen the exhibition,” Ms Bradshaw said.

Whitebait Festival co-ordinator Dominic Moran said the event was proving popular.

Eighty people attended the recent Hokitika Whitebait Cook-off Challenge, and similar numbers had been noted at the other cook-off events at Haast, Reefton, Westport and Greymouth.

Although the official number of visitors had not yet been estimated, the feedback and anecdotal evidence was that some visitors were coming to the West Coast because of the whitebait festival.

“In terms of the events that we have held from others that are still ongoing we are very pleased. They have pretty much matched our expectations.”

“There have been a smattering of international visitors but what has been really pleasing for us is that the local community are really grasping the events. I have had some feedback from local businesses and tourists attending the events have been making use of the festival guide and from what I have seen travelling between the Coast and Christchurch there seems to be more and more campervans coming over.”

Mr Moran said the West Coast photography competition run in conjunction with the festival had attracted up to 70 entries, and a grand prizegiving for the winning entry would take place at Shantytown on October 26, along with the final of the Whitebait Cook-off Challenge.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebait-exhibition-winner


Whitebait solution not clutching at straw

By EMMA MONK - The Greymouth Star | Wednesday, 19 October 2011


WHITEBAIT GURU: Dr Mike Hickford from Canterbury University.

STRAW BALES may be the trick to improving whitebait catches, West Coast fishermen were told this week.

University of Canterbury research associate in marine ecology Dr Mike Hickford, currently on a speaking tour of the Coast about the life history of whitebait, says he has proof of the effectiveness of the strange solution.

As he goes around the Coast he has been suggesting using straw bales to rehabilitate degraded spawning habitats around river and creek mouths.

“If you put these out on the banks, close enough together with about an inch between them, you get these little canyons in between the bales. It’s nice and dark, moist inside, they are protected from the sun and it is a really good habitat for the eggs to actually be laid on. They go through their whole four-week development while on the bank in the bales,” he said in Greymouth yesterday.

“They’re a way of sort of fixing an immediate problem. We’re not suggesting that you’re going to take them out and cover all the riverbanks on the West Coast with bales of straw, but it’s a way of ensuring that some fish can spawn successfully. If you can get them spawning at one site there’s a good chance that they will come back to that same site again.”

Whitebait spawning habitats on riverbanks have become degraded on the Coast by grazing livestock, floods and diggers. This becomes a problem for them in their life cycle, when the adult inanga cannot find suitable spawning habitat.

Dr Hickford said he spent a lot of time on the Coast, usually fishing on the Orowaiti River, at Westport.

“It’s nice to work on something that you really are interested in and care about,” he said.

After public meetings in Punakaiki and Hokitika, he is due to speak in the Whataroa Community Hall tonight at 7 o’clock.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebait-solution-not-clutching-straw

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebaiter jumps the ‘Big Rock’

The Greymouth Star | Friday, 21 October 2011

THE OLD ADAGE the early bird catches the worm proved true for one enterprising whitebaiter, who claimed the fabled ‘Big Rock’ on the Grey River yesterday morning while a quartet of men who previously laid claim to the rock were sleeping in a van.

When threats failed to remove the interloper the sleepy fishermen enlisted the aid of police.

However, the constable who attended was happy with the situation when he was informed of the unwritten rule that anyone can jump on an unattended rock.

Eventually, the warring factions came to an amicable agreement whereby the ‘poacher’ agreed to vacate the rock for 5kg of fresh bait.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebaiter-jumps-big-rock

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Bug targets southern rivers

By LOIS CAIRNS - Sunday Star-Times | Sunday, 23 October 2011


UNKNOWN FACTOR: Aeromonas can affect a range of fish, including lamprey, trout, eel, salmon,
whitebait and kokopu and has so far been detected in three lower South Island waterways.

A LITTLE-KNOWN bacteria infecting fish in lower South Island rivers could potentially spread to other waterways around the country.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) admits it knows little about the bacteria Aeromonas, which is causing illness and death in lamprey in Southland and has also been detected in a trout hatchery in Otago's Taieri River.

The bug can affect a range of fish including lamprey, trout, eel, salmon, whitebait and kokopu. It does not pose a direct risk to human health, but Maf is recommending people do not eat any fish that appear unusual or unhealthy.

Fish with the bacterial illness are likely to have red or swollen fins and red or swollen marks that look like bruises or blood clots.

MAF biosecurity response manager Glen Neal said the ministry was still working to determine the exact strain of the bacteria that was causing the illness and results were expected to take some time.

"It is notoriously difficult to culture the bacteria," Neal said. "At this point we do not know how it entered New Zealand, or indeed, if it has been here for some time. We have now had positive detections in fish ... from three waterways. As knowledge of this incident grows in the wider community, we expect to receive more reports of fish illness."

Asked whether there was a risk of the bacteria spreading to other parts of the country, Neal said the ministry would have a greater understanding of how it was spread once it had established the exact strain involved.

"Because we still know so little about this bacteria and its effects on fish, we cannot speculate on whether it will spread around the country."

Based on overseas experience, it was possible the bug was already quite widespread in lower South Island rivers.

Neal said that despite the presence of the bacteria, MAF was not considering a ban on recreational fishing as this time.

"We are working closely with recreational fishing bodies and the wider public to encourage people to report sightings of sick fish to the MAF freephone 080080-99-66. As well, we're reminding waterway users of the importance of checking, cleaning and drying their equipment and clothing when moving between waterways," Neal said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/news/5835302/Bug-targets-southern-rivers


Silt chokes Christchurch rivers

By PAUL GORMAN - The Press | Tuesday, 25 October 2011


PRECIOUS RESOURCE: Jon Harding, from Canterbury University,
in a stream next to Banks Avenue, one of the waterways
that have been affected by Canterbury's earthquakes.
 — DAVID HALLETT/Fairfax NZ.

CHRISTCHURCH's rivers and streams are dying, choked with tens of thousands of tonnes of earthquake silt that is killing native wildlife.

Canterbury University freshwater biologist Jon Harding says the rivers could take decades to recover unless streams at the top of their catchments are urgently cleared of silt.

Clean-up efforts in the lower reaches of the Avon and Heathcote will be of limited use if more sediment is flushed down the rivers.

Harding, who has been studying the state of the rivers after the February 22 and June 13 quakes, said huge amounts of silt and sand from liquefaction were killing native fish and insects in the worst-affected parts of the rivers.

In those spots he had observed one or no fish in 50m stretches compared with pre-quake levels of 10 or more.

An estimated 21,500 tonnes of sediment had either bubbled up within the rivers or drained into them, raising the river beds and cloaking valuable habitat and spawning sites.

About 25km of the Avon's 99km long course had either medium (17km) or heavy (8km) silt concentrations, while 34km of the 62km-long Heathcote was found to have medium (28km) or heavy (6km) quake sediment volumes.

Medium sediment was defined as about two cubic metres of silt and sand in a 10m stretch of the river, and heavy 4 cubic metres per 10m.

The Avon was most clogged in tributary streams in its higher reaches while the Heathcote was worst in its lower reaches closer to the Avon-Heathcote estuary, he said.



The quakes had caused massive changes to the ecology of the rivers, changes that were only now beginning to be appreciated.

There had been a lot of talk in the draft central city plan about the Avon as a centrepiece for the new Christchurch but it was in trouble.

In the past there had not been the opportunity to study how major quakes affected urban rivers, Harding said.

"Initially I was quite naive about this, thought they might have had a bit of a shake-up, especially in the lower part of the rivers, but that it wouldn't be much more than that."

"It didn't quite occur to me, as I'm sure it probably hasn't to a lot of people, that all that liquefaction has ended up in streams and rivers. It doesn't just disappear."

In some places, silt and sand from liquefaction had surged down rivers, leaving grey "tide" marks across banks and vegetation.

Whitebait had lost spawning grounds along river banks and larger fish were also affected.

"A number of fish use the bed of the river to lay their eggs on. They like finer-grained gravel, well-oxygenated. Now we've got beds completely covered with sand and silt it means there's no spawning habitat left, nowhere for them to lay their eggs, and oxygen levels are very low."

Insects, which sustained fish numbers and were a measure of how healthy a river was, had been "wiped out" by the silt, Harding said.

"They [insects] can come back, but it is going to take a very, very long time I think. There's going to be real problems unless something is done about this silt."

"The rivers could take decades to recover without human intervention. The bottom line is doing some serious silt removal."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5843613/Silt-chokes-Christchurch-rivers

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Mini-glut leaves many whitebait freezers full

The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, 26 October 2011


LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL: There is a mini-glut of whitebait at Haast.

A MINI-GLUT of whitebait catches around Haast has left some whitebaiters with more fish than freezer space.

Many freezers are already full, with three weeks to go to the end of the West Coast season.

Curly Tree Whitebait Company owner Tony Kerr said this year was shaping up to be better than previous seasons, and whitebaiters in South Westland were making the most of the good run.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/food/news/article.cfm?c_id=206&objectid=10761710

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Most of the cafes in Masterton have got whitebait patties on the menu at the moment....