“WHITEBAIT”

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Haast whitebait glut

By TUI BROMLEY - The Greymouth Star | Thursday, 27 October 2011


BOUNTIFUL TIMES: There is currently a glut of whitebait at Haast in South Westland.

SOUTH WESTLAND whitebaiters who were last year bemoaning the worst season in living memory, are hauling in such bountiful catches this season that one buyer stopped buying fresh bait for 10 days.

Curly Tree Whitebaiting co-owner Moana Kerr, based at the Waita River just north of Haast, said heavy rain had put a halt to things over the past couple of days but hopes were high that the swollen rivers would clear today to coincide with the new moon and again bring bumper catches.

With the freezers full, they stopped buying bait for a while but had now resumed. Catches had been especially plentiful on the Haast River.

Haast policeman, constable Rob Manera said the river was a hive of activity yesterday as whitebaiters rebuilt stands damaged by the recent flooding. He also expected the good catches to resume today.

“The Haast has been fishing pretty well, but I think it’s fair to say that all South Westland rivers have been doing just about as good.”

A little further south at Hannahs Clearing, the Cascade Whitebait Company’s Cessna 185 has been flying bait out from the Cascade River every second day since the season started on September 01.

Owner Neville Cain credited the absence of the north-westerly storms that blighted 2010, for the good catches this season.

It has been rumoured that whitebait was selling for as little at $30 a kilo (about $15 a pound) around Haast, but Mr Cain said that despite the glut, whitebait still commanded a good price on the riverbank.

His company could not drop the price much because of the high cost of transport, storage and packaging. Cascade Whitebait supplied customers throughout New Zealand, and as far as Australia, all year round.

Veteran fisherman Wallace Adamson said the Karangarua River had provided “two or three good hits”, but he thought the best was yet to come.

“The season has been steady, certainly better than last year. Any time you go down you will catch whitebait. I went down this morning for a look after that flood and the signs were promising, the bait were already coming up so I’m expecting a good finish to the season.”

Meanwhile, the bumper catches this season have not been enough to lure 91-year-old Betty Eggeling back to the Turnbull River, at Haast. Mrs Eggeling fished all last season but after 70 years on the riverbank she said she had decided to call time on her whitebaiting career.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/haast-whitebait-glut


The simple joys of whitebaiting

By SIMON BLOOMBERG - The Nelson Mail | Thursday, 27 October 2011


ALL QUIET: Wayne Robinson of Mapua whitebaiting on the lower reaches of the Waimea River
near Rabbit Island last week. — SIMON BLOOMBERG/The Nelson Mail.

THE WHITEBAIT may not have been running in the Waimea River last week but Mapua's Wayne Robinson reckons spending a few days trying to catch the elusive galaxids was better than working for a living.

The retired joiner has only netted "about three cups" of whitebait since the season opened but he is still a happy man.

"It's only my second season whitebaiting and I'm really enjoying it," Wayne said.

"I'm not having much luck but it's better than working. There's no dust and noise out here."

Wayne also plays golf at the nearby Greenacres Club.

"I'll walk along by the creek and people think I'm looking for golf balls but I'm looking for whitebait."

Department of Conservation Motueka office area compliance officer Dirk de Vries said whitebait runs were notoriously fickle.

"Last year was exceptional, this year may not be."

Most whitebaiters were sticking by the rules but the main issues were set nets blocking more than one third of a waterway and people fishing within 20 metres of a culvert.

"Whitebaiters have to adjust their nets with the tides to make sure they always leave two-thirds of the water way clear," he said.

Guyton's Fisheries general manager Andy Leonard said plenty of South Westland whitebait caught in Cascade Bay and flown and couriered to Nelson was being sold at $120 a kilo.

"It's fresh, clean, consistent and really nice," said Andy. The season closes on November 30.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/communities/5863952/The-simple-joys-of-whitebaiting

[Magoo]

I use 1 teaspoon of flour and 1 egg to 1 cup of whitebait and salt and pepper.    Just enough flour to hold it together.   Those Hooke on Seafood patties look very tempting.     Eat on TJ and just do a couple extra pushups.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Is whitebait overrated?

THE OMNIVORE

By JEREMY TAYLOR - Stuff Lifestyle Blogs | Wednesday, 02 November 2011

HONEST TO GOD,  if I hear the story about how the much maligned Stephen Donald was yanked from the banks of the Waikato River, where he was whitebaiting, to take his place in the All Blacks squad as Colin Slade's replacement, and, ultimately kick the Cup-winning penalty, I think I will scream.

It's a classic "rags to riches", "fickle wheel of fortune" sort of tale, and I think the "whitebaiting" part of the equation only serves to emphasise the very "New Zealand-ness" of it all, how we see ourselves as a nation of "little battlers". It makes us feel good, because it is analogous to our struggle; to be noticed, to be heard above the rabble. What is curious, really, is how the act itself of whitebaiting is an earthy, grass roots sort of pursuit, whereas the act of eating whitebait has become a distinctly highbrow one.

For starters — it is gobsmackingly expensive. One hundred grams just cost me $15 — I usually eat it only about once a year as a consequence. The second thing I am now wondering is - is it actually ridiculously overrated, even compared to other expensive fish and seafood?

Take oysters, for instance. Once a year, I get myself a punnet of a dozen fresh Bluff oysters and go nuts. I have them with a variety of seasonings — lime and black pepper, Huffman's hot sauce, a little aged balsamic vinegar — sometimes I even crumb and fry a few. They are expensive, sure, but they are also utterly luxurious, and they never disappoint.

So, I am writing this, having purchased said whitebait delicacy, but before cooking them. Nerves? Am I... choking?!

With expensive kit like this, there is no room for error. I consult the oracle — Al Brown's Go Fish. It is an excellent book — the recipes are straightforward, and totally geared toward showing off the quality of the seafood, rather than suggesting fancy techniques and complicated, long-winded methods. He moots, as I had hoped, a very simple recipe for whitebait fritters: drain the whitebait, and add a tablespoon of flour, one egg, plus one yolk. Easy.

I have also roasted some delicious, fresh seasonal asparagus, and boiled some tiny Agria potatoes. This should be good — shouldn't it?


LEFT: Whitebait fritters with asparagus and potatoes. | RIGHT: Apple, raddish and cucumber salad.

FIRST, I make a salad, a little appetiser, or palate-cleanser, if you will — mandolin-slices of apple, radish and cucumber, in a light limey dressing, with some crumbled feta and torn mint leaves. It looks pretty; it tastes — like summer on a plate. I am stalling — I am concerned that I will be underwhelmed by my expensive whitebait.

I finish boiling the tiny taters, drain them, add olive oil, chopped mint and salt and pepper and give them a quick blast over the heat. The asparagus is perfectly roasted — still holding together, but with a pleasing daub of colour. I fry the whitebait fritters in vegetable oil in a pan on a medium heat, three little fritters each, until they are lightly coloured and look and feel cooked.

I warm the plates, lay the potatoes on the base, gently lift the fritters on top, drape the roasted asparagus over the top, add a grind of black pepper, a little more chopped mint, a splash of olive oil and a couple of wedges of lime.

The moment of truth. The seasonal veges taste fresh and, well, of themselves. And the whitebait fritters are light and crispy, with the batter having well and truly insulated the delicate little fish against the heat of the pan. The squeeze of lime juice really complements the whitebait's subtly fishy flavour.

Is it overrated? No, thankfully, I don't think so. A little has just gone a fair way, and it has had the desired effect of seeming luxurious. I think that the key to such top-drawer ingredients is to eat them rarely, to use them efficiently, and to serve them with other seasonal ingredients that reinforce their "special-ness", and celebrate the narrow window of time that whitebait is available for.

Do you like whitebait? How do you prepare it? Do you think it is overrated? What's the best you've ever had.

• Join The Omnivore on Facebook.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/blogs/the-omnivore/5884328/Is-whitebait-overrated

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

$1600 fine for whitebaiting offences

Media Release - Department of Conservation | Thursday, 10 November 2011

A NELSON MAN has been fined $1600 for eight whitebaiting offences committed all at once.

Ben Heinrich Jurgensen, 41, was fined $200 on each of eight charges of breaching the Whitebait Fishing Regulations 1994 to which he pleaded guilty.

He was also ordered by the Nelson District Court to pay court costs of $132.89.

Department of Conservation Golden Bay Area Manager John Mason said two DOC rangers found Jurgensen whitebaiting on Golden Bay's Aorere River on 05 November last year with three nets, when only one is allowed, two of which were oversized.

"One sock net had a mouth perimeter of 14.4 metres, more than three times the permitted size of 4.5 metres. Another had a mouth perimeter of 11.4 metres."

"Also, one of the nets covered the entire 4.2-metre width of a tributary stream when nets must cover no more than one-third of waterways."

"Jurgensen told the rangers he couldn't claim ignorance as he had with him a tide table book that contained the regulations."

"The Whitebait Fishing Regulations are in place to enable sufficient whitebait to make it upstream to sustain populations of these native fish and the fishery."

"Breaking the rules to try to catch more whitebait is not playing fair. It gives whitebait less chance to escape the nets and it can disadvantage other whitebaiters fishing further up waterways."

"Jurgensen's actions were reported to us by a concerned member of the public and we are very grateful for the call. We encourage others who see people breaching the whitebaiting regulations to let us know by calling our emergency number 0800 DOCHOT/0800 36 24 68."

The charges Jurgensen was convicted of were:

• One charge of using more than one whitebait net at a time.

• Two charges of setting whitebait nets with a mouth in excess of 4.5 metres.

• Two charges of fishing for whitebait within 20 metres of a confluence.

• One charge of not remaining within 10 metres of a whitebait net.

• One charge of using fishing gear that exceeded more than one-third of the width of the waterway.

• One charge of setting a whitebait net with an overall length exceeding 3.5 metres (the net was 5 metres long).

http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/media-releases/1600-fine-for-whitebaiting-offences

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Tide’s out on 2011 season

The Greymouth Star | Monday, 14 November 2011


LAST CHANCE: The end of the West Coast 2011 whitebaiting season.

BRIAN CORNISH was among whitebaiters lining the Grey River at Blaketown this morning, hoping that the last rising tide of the 2011 season will bring a late run.

However, with about two hours to go to the top of the tide when this photograph was taken, the day had brought slim pickings.

It was a similar situation in South Westland, where rivers that had supplied bountiful catches for most of the season were this morning almost barren of 'bait.

DOC Haast spokesman Carl Baker said some loyal fishermen remained on the river today but most of the visitors had packed up and left, despite an exceptional season which at one stage forced a whitebait buyer to shut up shop for 10 days because the freezers were full of 'bait.

“I went for a patrol yesterday and it was noticeable that a number of people had already gone home.”

Mr Baker said compliance with the regulations had been good so far, but rangers would be patrolling the rivers for the rest of the week in case people were tempted to try a bit of post-season fishing.

“We have a roster and will be keeping an eye on that situation.”

Generally rivers throughout the West Coast have, at some stage, yielded bumper catches, making the past season markedly better than 2010, which was only saved from obscurity by some large hauls very late in the piece.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/tide%E2%80%99s-out-2011-season

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Book whisked up from whitebait night

By JOHN MASLIN - Wanganui Chronicle | Wednesday, 23 November 2011


GREAT CATCH: Lesley Stead, owner of Paige's
Book Gallery (left) and Jigsaw Whanganui
fundraiser Jonette Hiroti, sneak a look at
the book. — Photo: BEVAN CONLEY.

THEY COOKED UP A STORM for a good local cause and now the fruits of their labours have been reproduced in book form just in time for Christmas.

The Great Whanganui Whitebait Cook-Off book will go on sale today and features 14 recipes created on the night of the great cook-off in August.

The event was a fundraiser for Jigsaw Whanganui and involved two-person teams whisking up their best recipes using 250g of whitebait and anything else that they thought would make for their individual taste sensations.

Some of the ingredients were memorable, running from pikopiko fronds to huhu grubs. And the titles for these creative dishes was just as wide ranging, from whitebait roulade to whitebait dim sim and dipping sauces.

Tim Metcalfe, executive director of Jigsaw Whanganui, said the book would sell for $15 and an initial print of run of 300 copies had come off the H&A Print presses.

"We were truly overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and creativity those teams showed on the night," Mr Metcalfe said.

"It was after that that we decided the recipes were too good to ignore so we have put them in book form."

He said a reprint would be necessary because he was optimistic the first batch would sell out very soon after going on sale.

The book is on sale at Paige's Book Gallery in Guyton Street; The Edge Beauty Studio, 49 Victoria Avenue; Wanganui Veterinary Services, 35 Somme Parade; and Jigsaw Whanganui's office, Suite 10, 236 Victoria Avenue.

http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/book-whisked-up-from-whitebait-night/1183417

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Scoop Netting for Whitebait at the Rakaia River Mouth

FishingMag.co.nz | Thursday, 24 November 2011


Whitebaiters fish the surf on the north side of the Rakaia River mouth during late November 2011.
Often the best runs of whitebait are towards the end of the season.


Nets down as a wave rolls up the beach carrying with it the wriggling whitebait.


Every now and again a much bigger wave comes sweeping in. It is essential to keep a
sharp lookout should a quick retreat back up the beach become necessary.
Several sets of eyes on the lookout are an advantage.


Others prefer to fish a safer spot further back up the gut where the waves can't reach.


The wearing of life jackets is a precaution well worth taking. On most days one side of the river
mouth will be better for whitebaiting than the other. Which side will be best depends on the shape
of the mouth, the state of the tide, and the volume of water passing out through the mouth.


As the waves recede there is time to tip the contents of your net into a container around your waist.

http://www.fishingmag.co.nz/Rakaia-River-Whitebaiters-Scoop-Nets-2011.htm

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Rakaia River Scoop Nets

By ALLAN BURGESS - FishingMag.co.nz | Thursday, 24 November 2011


LEFT: The roar and splash of the surf are a constant companion when whitebaiting at the Rakaia River mouth. | RIGHT: All the
correct gear. Lifejacket, scoop net, bucket, and neophrene chest waders. This type of scoop net is only used in the surf.


LEFT: Scoop netters on the north side of the Rakaia Rivermouth. With the sea on one side and the river on the other; all are
wearing life-jackets. | RIGHT: Tipping bait from the net into a plastic container strapped around the waste.
A reasonable level of physical fitness is required for this.


LEFT: The river current is very quick and powerful through the narrow gut. It is a simple matter of catching the waves
as they bring in the bait. | RIGHT: Humans are not the only whitebaiters working. Gulls pic silveries and whitebait
from the stones left stranded by the breakers.


LEFT: The whitebaiter on the far right is tipping his catch into his holding bucket. Every so often the contents are tipped into a
second bucket kept further up the beach. When the bait are running your buckets can fill quite quickly! | RIGHT: This whitebaiter
is using a carrying net made with an alloy frame secured around his waist to hold the catch. It has a funnel top and importantly
the water drains away. These are great but cost about $130.00 each.


LEFT: Scoop netting is potentially the most dangerous as rouge sweeper waves can catch you by surprise. The lifejacket is a must!
RIGHT: A plastic bucket around the waist is the option employed by most baiters. Probably because it is the least expensive.


LEFT: You can't beat a four-wheel motorbike with balloon tires for crossing the loose shingle. It can be very hard walking,
especially when carrying gear! | RIGHT: The Rakaia scoop can also be used a bit further back up river from
the mouth where the current is still quite fast flowing.

______________________________________

http://www.fishingmag.co.nz/whitebaiting-Rakaia-Scoop-Nets.htm

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Camaraderie and lots of lies

Marlborough Saturday Express | Saturday, 27 November 2011


READY: Norm Gilmore is one of the regulars at the Wairau
Bar river mouth during the whitebaiting season.
 — SCOTT HAMMOND/The Marlborough Express.

CAMARADERIE and lots of lies: those are two of the whitebaiting attractions that entice Norm Gilmore to return to the river each season.

The season ends on Wednesday and has been "terrible", says Norm.

But later he recounts taking his Queensland nephew, Col Gilmore, whitebaiting this month and they each caught about 500 grams of whitebait. The next day the younger man went back to the river and caught another 500g.

Norm might be embellishing the truth. Comradeship and telling tall stories are two of the things he likes most about whitebaiting.

"We tell a few lies to each other ... some days jokers say they have got a gallon (4.5 litres) and [all] they have is about 10 whitebait."

The 87-year-old says he was in Ward when he first waded into the waterways with a whitebaiting net. Formerly from Seddon, he had started working for the Awatere County Council and the Flaxbourne River was a popular recreation spot.

"We used to get good catches down there years ago. And the ladies used to go out.

"They would drop the kids off at school, go down to the river, then come away at 2.45pm to pick them up again."

Norm's wife, Ruby, was one of those whitebaiting ladies but she gave her net to a niece when the couple moved to Blenheim.

These days the Wairau Bar is Norm's fishing spot and he always heads to the river mouth. There, he and other men who make that their regular possie, take it in turn to walk their nets through the incoming currents. The best time is between low and half-high tide, he explains.

"You start with the current going out and the river pushes the whitebait to the edges under the banks — in theory, anyway."

"Blind-dipping" is how whitebait are caught at the river mouth, where the moving water makes it impossible to see whether whitebait are present or not.

Asked if there is any hostility among whitebaiters when one takes another's favourite spot, Norm says there is the occasional spoiler and the police will respond to any complaints.

"But they never come near us, we are the old fellas."

Old fellas take their catches home to cook up or give away, he says.

"The people who look after us during the year, I make sure they get a feed. I only want three or four good feeds a year and I'm happy."

Other whitebaiters sell their catches and those on the West Coast habitually do so.

"It's a different story over there," Norm says, with Coasters typically working from their own little riverside wharves.

"Where I fish, once we get a feed, we are happy. And we stick to our own backyard, we don't shift around."

Asked what he does if a newcomer arrives on his spot, he says he doesn't mind and he especially likes encouraging young people to try whitebaiting.

Wetsuits should be worn under other clothes for emergency flotation, he advises.

"Now and again there's a rogue wave and then you go under."

______________________________________

WHITEBAITING REGULATIONS

• The whitebait season is open between August 15 and November 30 (inclusive) in all areas of New Zealand except the West Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Islands.

• Whitebaiting is permitted only between 5am and 8pm, or during New Zealand Daylight Saving hours, between 6am and 9pm.

• Whitebait nets must have a 4.5 metre or narrower mouth with framing material no wider than 120 millimetres.

• Drag nets must be shorter than 1m in height and be flat when laid on a flat surface.

• Neither whitebait nets nor dragnets can be more than 3.5m in length.

• Fishing gear must not exceed more than one-third of the water channel's width and must not be used in conjunction with another person's gear to exceed more than one-third of the channel width.

• No person shall set or use more than one whitebait net at a time.

• He or she must remain within 10m of the net.

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

• Unlawfully-taken fish must be immediately returned to the water.

• No person shall discard or dump on shore any fish taken when fishing for whitebait.

• Fishing for whitebait is prohibited within 20m of a tide gate, floodgate, confluence or culvert.

• No one can fish from a bridge or vessel.

• Whitebaiters must not interfere with, alter or modify the natural bed or banks of any river, stream, estuary or channel.

— Department of Conservation.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/community-papers/6027431/Camaraderie-and-lots-of-lies

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Haast seeks special whitebait status

By MIKE CREAN - The Press | Tuesday, 29 November 2011


RECORD BID:South Westland pub manager Simon Jackson
in the giant whitebait frying pan. — MIKE CREAN/The Press.

RAIN beating on the roof sounds the death knell for a million whitebait.

It wakes me in my Haast pub bed. When the din subsides, I haul my clothes on, jump in the car and dash to the Okuru River for a glimpse of that rare species, the whitebaiter.

It is barely dawn but the silhouettes of whitebaiters on their stands, staring into the river for a sight of the tiny fish, stand out against a lightening sky. I stumble through dripping bush to talk to three old stagers from the river bank.

This has been the best West Coast season — it ended on November 14 — for years, they say. Rich reward for driving from South Canterbury and Southland and setting up camp at a local caravan park. Well worth rising before six to catch the tide.

So I step onto the long metal stand that protrudes 10 metres out over the river, and stare into the water. And here they come, a shoal of the beauties, flicking their slender bodies upstream, till they meet the net. There they stop and seem to hold a conference about what to do next. They turn and swim back a short distance. But primordial instinct sinks in and they turn upstream again, answering the call of the spawning grounds — straight into the net.

This shoal will go down as another catch. Another breakfast for the chaps hauling in the net.

Later, the contented whitebaiters will gather with their mates to spin fishy yarns at the "long table" in the bar of the Haast pub.

What they call the Haast pub is the Heartland World Heritage Hotel, so named to celebrate the World Heritage status of the South Westland-Fiordland region.

The "long table" comprises four bar tables pushed together in the large public bar, where a log fire blazes and windows frame views of wetland plains, mountain and bush wilderness.

Hotel manager Simon Jackson says whitebaiters have insisted on this spot in the bar for many years. He has been here only a year, but his predecessor advised him the whitebaiters would demand it.

Jackson is happy with that. If the long table brings such a cheerful bunch of fellows in every evening of the two-month whitebaiting season, he will gladly provide it.

Hundreds of regulars descend every September on the rivers that spill into the sea by Haast. Many stay until the season closes in November. They come from all over the South Island. To them, whitebaiting is more than a hobby, more than a hunting-and-gathering exercise to feed hungry bellies, or a reunion with old mates. It is a traditional religious ritual.

Their reverent devotion to the great god Whitebait has given Jackson an idea. Let's launch Haast as the whitebait capital of the world, he says.

Haast needs something like this, he adds. Streams of traffic pass on the Haast Highway each day. Few people stop and most of those that do take a quick look around and move on. Jackson wants a way to hold people here, for a night, two nights, or more.

There are plenty of adventure activities, but Haast needs something different. Which is where whitebait swim into his ken. Haast has always been famous for whitebait. The Nolan family made an industry of it early last century, canning the delicacy and flying it out to the nation's markets.

A decade ago, Haast tried to get its name in the Guinness Book of Records for cooking the world's biggest whitebait pattie. Jackson guides me to an overgrown bank behind the hotel and there, in the sodden grass, lies a huge, round, steel dish. It is nearly five metres in diameter, with a five-centimetre rim around it. This is the frying pan that was used in the record attempt.

Members of the community brought whitebait for the pattie. Jackson says the amount used would have been worth $10,000 then. They propped the pan up and assembled gas burners under it. They lit the burners, heated the pan and poured the whitebait mix in.

Did it work? Sadly, no. The wind kept blowing the flames out. The pan could not be heated evenly, so the pattie did not cook properly. The attempt was abandoned. Jackson is not sure what became of the pattie — perhaps it was broken up and fed to the dogs.

The Haast community held a whitebait ball last month. Locals and visitors alike attended in their roughest whitebait clothes at the Okuru Hall. Jackson hopes the ball will become an annual event. It should be a regular part of the celebrations for the whitebait capital of the world, he says.

• Mike Crean was a guest at Heartland World Heritage Hotel, Haast.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/travel/6051142/Haast-seeks-special-whitebait-status

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

What a beauty it's been on the river

Whitebait flows freely for fisherman

By SCOT MACKAY - The Southland Times | Tuesday, 30 November 2011


ALMOST OVER: Whitebaiters Bill Craig, left, and Noel Hartstonge, both of Gore, put out a net on
the Mataura River yesterday for the second to last day of the season. — ROBYN EDIE/Fairfax NZ.

THE WHITEBAIT SEASON in Southland officially ends today with fishermen boasting it was the best season for 20 years.

Southland Recreational Whitebaiters Association president Brett Pearce said it had been a record season with whitebaiters reporting good catch rates throughout the region.

"It is going to be hard to match up another season with this one — there has been nothing like it — the Mataura (River) was the best in 20 years," he said.

He had spoken to people who had taken away full buckets each time, but no-one knew why it was so good, he said.

The rivers had been high and dirty for part of the season, which usually meant the whitebait were not running, but that was not the case this season, he said.

"It went against all the theories this year."

While most whitebaiters on the Mataura and Titiroa rivers had packed up for the season yesterday, those who remained agreed they had not seen a similar season in many years.

Most people did not want to say how much they had caught for fear of someone else fishing near their spot, but 70-year veteran Bill Craig said he was happy with the season after spending about 20 days at the Mataura.

While he did not catch as much as people closer to the mouth of the river, he did get one haul of about 2.5 kilograms, Mr Craig said.

Meanwhile, three people are being prosecuted for illegal whitebaiting after being caught with nets longer than the permitted six metres at the Mataura River. They face a maximum fine of $5000.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/6058620/What-a-beauty-its-been-on-the-river

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebaiters revel in bountiful season

The Timaru Herald | Thursday, 01 December 2011


TOP 'BAIT SEASON: The last tide of the last day of
a “boomer” whitebait season at Smithfield beach.

WHITEBAITERS at the Smithfield beach, north of Timaru fished the last tide yesterday afternoon as the whitebait season came to a close.

The season which began in mid-August has been one of the best for years with whitebaiters at Smithfield, the Opihi River and Waihao River all getting good catches.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/6066006/Whitebaiters-revel-in-bountiful-season


Boom ends Wairarapa whitebait run

By GERALD FORD - Wairarapa Times-Age | Thursday, 01 December 2011


PACKING THEM IN: Diane Laing puts away her nets
for another year after a top whitebait season.
 — LYNDA FERINGA/Wairarapa Times-Age.

RECORD whitebait catches of up to 45kg were being recounted as a bumper season in Wairarapa drew to a close yesterday.

Tony Roseingrave, owner of outdoors store King and Henry, said fishermen had reported high catches this year, especially in October.

"I've heard of a couple of 40lb and 60lb [18kg and 27kg] stories," Mr Roseingrave said.

"The best I've heard is 100lb [45kg]."

Mr Roseingrave admitted you can never quite be sure with second-hand fishing stories, but he had checked out the 45kg story for himself.

"He said he didn't think it was that much, but it was a lot," Mr Roseingrave said.

That particularly high catch had not been weighed, but the season as a whole had been productive.

"Overall, I'd say it's been a good season, with some quite spectacular catches," he said.

The season began on August 15 with some big seas and was a bit slow to start off, Mr Roseingrave said, but it picked up in late September and October.

Masterton whitebaiter Paul Greenlees said he had made a couple of whitebaiting excursions to Western Lake.

Both trips had been productive, but one was especially so.

"We had 24lb on Saturday and 16lb on the Sunday, so 40lb [27kg] in total. It was one of our best catches ever," Mr Greenlees said.

"I heard of a 60lb in one day, but they must have been just lucky."

Veteran whitebaiter Diane Laing said she had not been out as often as usual this year, but they had clearly been running.

"I've had a few nice days, had a few meals and given some away," Mrs Laing said.

"I like to give some away to older people who can't go out themselves."

Mrs Laing said the best catches had been in the middle of the season and success sometimes depended on whether the mouth of the lake was open or not, whether the spillway gates were open. "I have heard people are getting some nice catches," she said.

http://www.times-age.co.nz/news/boom-whitebait-run-ends/1193711

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Marmite shortage hurts biologists

By ANNABELLE TUKIA - TV3 News | Saturday, 24 March 2012


FISH LURE: The marmite shortage has a group
of biologists worried.

A GROUP of Christchurch biologists say they have more reason than most to be panicked by the marmite shortage gripping the country.

That is because the Sanitarium-produced spread plays an important role in their whitebait research and they have learnt the hard way, that vegemite does not work.

Copious amounts of black gold are being spread onto whitebait traps and tossed into the Heathcote River, which in the midst of a marmite shortage seems a little foolhardy, but for these Canterbury University biologists there is method in their madness.

“It’s pretty aromatic, it’s got a good strong smell [and] once it gets into the water it starts dissolving away,” says biologist Mike Hickford. “I imagine it’s got a pretty strong taste in the water for fish.”

Mr Hickford is researching whitebait spawning patterns in Christchurch's waterways and to do this he needs to catch them and tag them.

He says the humble household spread is an effective tool to do just that.

“This is the substance of choice to pit into traps — fish seem to like it, they’re drawn to it. It dissolves slowly in the water and sort of wisps out and the fish are drawn to it just like a magnet,” says Mr Hickford.

And Mr Hickford says unlike some humans, whitebait can actually tell the difference between marmite and vegemite.

“We’ve tried vegemite and it just doesn’t work as well. It’s interesting, this is a species that occurs in Australia as well, so maybe you have to give vegemite to the Australian populations but certainly for the New Zealand ones it’s only marmite,” he says.

So not surprisingly news of a marmite shortage hitting the country earlier this week was met with panic by Mr Hickford and his team.

“We had so many problems trying to track it down — we had dairy owners laughing at us when we asked if we could have some because they’d sold out before,” says team member Jenny Schiel."

Luckily though, a local supermarket stepped in and the team have enough marmite to last them until July — a stockpile that is sure to make many a marmite lover just a little jealous.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Marmite-shortage-hurts-biologists/tabid/1160/articleID/247938/Default.aspx

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait Creek Participation

Community participation invited as part
of restoration work on Whitebait Creek.

News Release - NZ Landcare Trust | Monday, 02 April 2012


Dune Lake and Whitebait Creek.

AS PART OF the work to increase the overall health of the Manawatu River, a group of organisations including NZ Landcare Trust, Horizons Regional Council and the Manawatu Estuary Trust have been busy engaging with landowners, iwi and community groups to identify community support for a project to improve native fish populations along Whitebait Creek, which flows through the township of Foxton Beach.

Horizons Regional Council have provided $30,000 of initial funding for this project in their last annual plan. NZ Landcare Trust is applying for additional funding to extend the reach of the project, further up the Whitebait Creek catchment.

“Whitebait Creek has stood out for its potential for a project like this, as it has been prized by locals for generations for its migrating whitebait” explains Alastair Cole, the Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Coordinator from NZ Landcare Trust. “Unfortunately, this whitebait population is under threat regionally and locally due to habitat loss, overfishing of whitebait, illegal white baiting practices and degrading water quality. This project will address some of these issues.”

The Whitebait Creek catchment is made up of approximately 2000 hectares of pastoral farming and forestry and is located to the immediate north of Foxton Beach township. Its furthest tributary extends approximately 10.5 kilometres from the RAMSAR notified Manawatu Estuary, with the catchment area being a network of naturalised drains plus 5 large dune lakes and bordering wetlands which have an area in excess of 41 hectares.

The first work on this project is to begin during the week beginning on the 23rd April 2012, with overseas volunteers working with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand undertaking some site preparation work on land alongside the creek within Foxton Beach township.

• If you would like further information on the project or are interested in becoming involved in the
  project, please contact Alastair Cole from NZ Landcare Trust at the Manawatu/Whanganui office
  on 0800 526 322 or email alastair.cole@landcare.org.nz.

http://www.landcare.org.nz/News-Features/News/Whitebait-Creek-Participation

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebaiters fined for ignoring rules

The Rotorua Daily Post | Wednesday, 04 April 2012


BUSTED: Five whitebaiters have been fined after
they were caught flouting regulations by illegally
fishing within 20m of a canal or floodgates.

FIVE whitebaiters have been fined after they were caught flouting regulations by illegally fishing within 20m of a canal or floodgates.

Travis Tane, 22, Tawhai Te Ariki, 20, Aiden Ohlson, 22, Peter Ford, 18, and Tawhai Tarau, 24, all from Whakatane, pleaded guilty to illegally fishing within 20m of either the Awatapu or Orini Canal floodgates. The group appeared in the Whakatane District Court.

Gisborne/Whakatane Department of Conservation area manager Andy Bassett said the department would prosecute people who flaunted the rules.

The floodgates had numerous signs informing the public whitebaiting was not permitted within 20m of the structure.

"Meaning there is no excuse for ignoring the rules," he said.

All six were fined $1000 with $132 court costs plus forfeiture of their nets.

A sixth man, Mark Hohua, 37 , of Whakatane, was fined $200 with $132 court costs and forfeiture of his net for fishing outside the permitted 5am to 8pm whitebait fishing hours. Hohua was arrested for whitebaiting after midnight from the Whakatane boat ramp.

"We have informed the public of the regulations with yearly media campaigns and on-site signage, this leaves us no alternative but to prosecute those who have scant disregard for the sustainability of the whitebait fishery," Mr Bassett said. "With the ongoing efforts of DoC compliance staff, assisted by the police, the outcome from the court was a pertinent reminder to those who illegally whitebait fish that it could end up being a costly exercise."

http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/news/whitebaiters-fined-for-ignoring-rules/1329723

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Battling the elements to improve the health of a precious taonga

By AARON LEAMAN - Waikato Times | Friday, 27 April 2012


RESTORING THE RIVER: Aka Aka dairy farmer Stu Muir and wife Kim Jobson have received funding from
the Waikato River Authority to help create a breeding ground for inanga. — MARK TAYLOR/Waikato Times.

IT WOULD be a hard task estimating how many whitebait fritters have been served up at the Muir household.

From an early age, Aka Aka dairy farmer Stu Muir recalls fishing for the delicacy along the banks of the Waikato River with his father or grandfather.

In those days, whitebait runs were plentiful and the river clear.

"We use to put a white board in the river and wait for the whitebait to cross over it," Mr Muir, 41, said.

"You'd then drop your net in the water and that's how we would catch them. I remember catching kerosene tins full of whitebait and that's not too long ago. Now the water clarity has got worse and people use set nets to catch them."

The Muir family, who have farmed in the lower Waikato river area near Waiuku for six generations, were among 24 recipients picked for funding by the Waikato River Authority earlier this year.

Their project, which received $9400 from the authority, aims to restore a two-hectare Waikato River island and create a breeding ground for inanga.

Whitebait are the juveniles of five native species, including the inanga.

Mr Muir, who is managing the project, said diggers would be used to create a series of tidal ponds to give the inanga spawning pools.

Spraying of pest plants began in February.

"We're really pleased with the amount of funding we've received because we'd rather do a small project and do it well," wife Kim Jobson told the Waikato Times.

"We're very privileged to be given this support and we can always reapply when further funds become available."

The Muirs say a combination of factors have led to declining whitebait runs, including a loss of habitation, stock accessing waterways and introduced pest species. Top of their list is the invasive Koi carp.

"They rip up the grass where the inanga lay their eggs and take over the waterways," Ms Jobson said.

"They're the possum of the river, they're just revolting."

Mr Muir said by focusing on restoring one river island, the project was "neither too small to make a difference or too large that the project becomes unmanageable."

The Muirs have also approached two local schools to be involved in the project.

"We envisage that not only will this project help the inanga [it] will also give the children of the district a chance to be involved in a project where they can see a difference being made to their immediate environment."

"They will be involved from the start — identifying exotic weeds and animals, learning how they arrived and what harm they can do when introduced to the wrong habitat. Most importantly they will learn that whitebait are not an unlimited resource that arrives each year from the sea but a precious taonga that needs our help to protect them by restoring their environment and looking after their health and wellbeing."

Mr Muir said the project funding would also enable his family to continue their river conservation work.

Kilometres of creeks have already been cleared of exotic species, turning choked waterways back into vibrant streams.

"I think most people would like to improve the environment but sometimes it can be hard finding that extra money. The authority's funding allows us to do this."

Authority co-chairman John Luxton said restoring the whitebait's habitat would make a tangible difference to the health of the river.

The authority administers the Waikato River Clean-Up Trust, with the Government committing $210 million over the next 30 years.

To date almost $700,000 has been allocated to 24 projects in the under-$50,000 category.

Mr Luxton said all applications had gone through a comprehensive evaluation which aimed to give the authority the "best bang for our buck".

Co-chairman Tukoroirangi Morgan said he was "hugely excited" by efforts to restore whitebait numbers.

"We've set out to fund the most creative and innovative projects, and this project is one of a number of initiatives that will work together in a cohesive way."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/6814672/Battling-the-elements-to-improve-the-health-of-a-precious-taonga

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait in line for a homeowners' makeover

By EMMA GOODWIN - Manawatu Standard | Monday, 30 May 2012

WHITEBAIT can look forward to home renovations thanks to some help from the Horizons Regional Council and a handful of keen helpers.

Whitebait Creek in Foxton Beach is getting the attention of nine international volunteers and a $30,000 makeover handout from Horizons to start a habitat restoration programme earmarked in the Manawatu River Leaders' Accord.

The volunteers, organised by Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, will be weeding, fencing and planting along the banks of the creek as part of a NZ Landcare Trust-led project to restore the whitebait population.

Landcare is seeking more funding to extend the project's reach and the current work is the first of three fortnight-long programmes planned.

Horizons made a successful bid to secure funding from the Government's Fresh Start for Freshwater Clean-up fund to help clean up the Manawatu River, and has earmarked a budget of $480,000 to restore the habitat for whitebait and native fish in four sub-catchments of the river.

Whitebait Creek is just one of several sites to be restored to increase spawning rates and improve whitebait runs in the next three to five years.

The regional council said whitebait and native fish were an important indicator of river health and declining numbers could be a result of loss of habitat, access restrictions and competition from introduced species.

At a presentation held beside the creek, Landcare Manawatu-Whanganui regional co-ordinator Alastair Cole welcomed the support from the overseas volunteers and emphasised the importance of community involvement.

"Working together we can make a real difference to this creek and its ecosystem and eventually within the entire catchment," Mr Cole said.

He said cleaning up rivers and streams would not only improve the habitat for native wildlife, it was also beneficial for people.

The volunteers will be at various points along the creek until May 02.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/6829207/Whitebait-in-line-for-a-homeowners-makeover

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait targeted in Maori claims

Maori claiming customary rights to whitebait

Taranaki Daily News | Wednesday, 09 May 2012


CLAIM DENIED: Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
Chris Finlayson said Maori claims for whitebait would
be unsuccessful. — ROBERT CHARLES/Fairfax NZ.

MAORI GROUPS are claiming customary rights to whitebait in South Taranaki waterways and to a large part of the foreshore.

Multiple claims were made by several Maori groups on the Waihi Creek to the Ngaere Stream, including the mouth of the Waingongoro River near Hawera, and for the Waingongoro River to Wahamoko Stream, and the area between the Taungatara and Waihi Rivers as well as other parts of Taranaki.

The claims are just some of the 24 lodged for title to 21 beaches around New Zealand, including the New Plymouth foreshore.

Applications for the customary rights to whitebait in the Waihi Creek to the Ngaere Stream, including the mouth of the Waingongoro River were made by representatives of Okahu Inuawai Hapu, Kanihi Umutahi me etahi Hapu and Ngati Manuhiakai.

The whitebait claims were made under the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and transferred as applications under the Marine & Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

They ask for the "protected customary rights for the exercise kaitiakitanga over foreshore and seabed, including manamoana and management of resources, extracting resources from foreshore and seabed (including whitebait, sand, peat), aquaculture, use of tauranga waka (including launching and landing vessels and building and maintaining groynes) and any additional customary rights."

Yesterday Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Chris Finlayson said that claims for whitebait would be unsuccessful.

"If they wanted to claim for whitebait under the Marine and Coastal Area Bill they would literally be pushing whitebait up a river," he said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/6884558/Whitebait-targeted-in-Maori-claims


Westport wharf whitebaiting to be banned

By LEE SCANLON of the Westport News | Wednesday, 09 May 2012


WHITEBAIT. — Photo: Mark Mitchell.

A WEST COAST whitebaiting tradition spanning generations may be banned — for health and safety reasons.

Westport Harbour authorities are considering banning whitebaiting under the Westport wharf.

More than 50 unhappy whitebaiters attended a meeting about the proposal last night called by harbour officials.

Harbour authorities told them they were worried about the safety of people accessing port operational areas and the harbour company's liability for any accidents. They gave whitebaiters a fortnight to come up with alternatives to a ban.

The whitebaiters formed a five-person committee to seek legal advice.

They said they had expected to lose their stands under the coal wharf if and when coal miner Bathurst Resources began its planned $30 million port upgrade. However, they thought they would retain access to the rest of the wharves.

"If you are not in the [Bathurst] area why shouldn't you be allowed to whitebait? This is a tradition," said committee member Paul Bonisch, whose family has fished under the wharf for 60 years.

Allowing whitebaiters access to the wharf during the 10-week whitebait season wasn't too much to ask, especially as conditions usually meant they could only fish for about five weeks, Mr Bonisch said.

Whitebaiters had a long history of co-operating with harbour authorities. They vacated when ship movements or port work were taking place.

To his knowledge there had been only two serious accidents at the wharf, neither involving whitebaiters.

Another committee member, Dean Skilton, who has fished under the wharf for 35 years, said harbour authorities should have consulted whitebaiters sooner.

"It's just a shame we've had very little input into the way they are thinking and we've had very little time to respond to it. Why couldn't they have involved us from the word go, so we could have some consultation with them?"

However, he could understand harbour authorities trying to limit their liability and hoped whitebaiters could find a solution.

"The reality is, unless we can get a lawyer to state ... we take liability away from the harbour board, I think we are sunk."

Westport Harbour chief executive Trish Casey said Westport Harbour had been unable to find any way to mitigate the risks to the port company of under-wharf fishing.

"We know this issue is important to those who enjoy this practice, but the staff, directors and shareholders of Westport Harbour are exposed to unacceptable liability from the practice."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10804700

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebaiting crackdown

The Greymouth Star | Thursday, 10 May 2012

A DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION crackdown on illegal whitebait fishing in South Westland last season has resulted in fishermen from around the South Island losing their nets and paying fines.

DOC prosecutor Louise Tumai brought charges against nine people in the Whataroa District Court yesterday.

The whitebaiters had failed to meet requirements such as staying within 10m of the net, and using nets not exceeding more than one-third of the channel width.

Judge Brian Callaghan said that behaviour endangered the whitebait population and was “not fair to other whitebait fishermen” All defendants admitted the charges.

William Rodney Crawford, from Cromwell, was fined $700 for using fishing gear that exceeded more than a third the width of the channel.

He said the river had dropped to low tide and he forgot to raise his net. He was “a bit gullible” and thought he could fish from bank to bank. For using screens otherwise than from the water’s edge, Barbara Helen Mee and Ross Foster were both fined; Mee also had to forfeit her equipment.

Murray Springer, from Greymouth, was fined $650 and had to forfeit his gear for using screens longer than 3m otherwise than from a licensed structure.

Molly Silbery, from Haast, was charged with catching whitebait on August 31 — a month before the opening of the 2011 fishing season. Her fine was reduced to $500 because she was on the widow’s benefit, but she was unable to get her net back because of previous offences.

Grant Neville Brewer, Malcolm Stanley McDonald, Chris Jukes and Alan Peter Blair were each fined $500 for failing to remain within 10m of their nets. Blair had to forfeit his net.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebaiting-crackdown

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Aim to protect whitebait: iwi

By LAIRD HARPER - Taranaki Daily News | Saturday, 12 May 2012


WAITING: Julie Moyes on opening day of the white baiting season.

A SOUTH TARANAKI iwi says whitebaiters have nothing to fear from Maori claiming customary rights to the seasonal delicacy.

On Tuesday, it was revealed applications were made by Ngaruahine hapu Okahu Inuawai, Kanihi Umutahi me etahi and Ngati Manuhiakai pertaining to the tiny fish from Waihi Creek to Ngaere Stream, including the mouth of Waingongoro River.

The claims were made under the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and transferred as applications under the Marine & Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

Nga Hapu o Ngaruahine Iwi Incorporated chairwoman Daisy Noble said they had applied for a customary protection order that would be exactly that.

"The key word here is protection."

Ms Noble said Maori had long seen whitebait as an essential part of their culture both in terms of food and as a commodity.

But rather than blocking access, it was about ensuring whitebait was available for years to come.

"It's about making sure that the resource is sustained."

"How do we do that? We do that in keeping with the practices that we already have as Maori."

"When we gather food off the rocks we turn the rock over, take the paua off it, and turn the rock back."

She said, if passed, the average whitebaiter would only need to be more conscientious about what they left behind. "You only leave your footprints."

On Wednesday, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson told 3News any such claims would be unsuccessful as they would "literally be pushing whitebait up a river".

More than 630 people responded to a Taranaki Daily News online poll asking if it was fair for South Taranaki Maori to be claiming customary rights to whitebait.

About 91 per cent of those who voted believed it wasn't while 9 per cent thought it was fine.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/6908594/Aim-to-protect-whitebait-iwi/

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebait Festival taken to Cantabrians

By CHERYL RILEY - The Greymouth Star | Tuesday, 10 July 2012

CANTABRIANS will be able to savour the flavour of West Coast whitebait dished up in their own backyard at a festival on October 20.

The inaugural Great West Coast Whitebait Festival, at Cranmer Square, is being organised by the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival team and promises to be along the same quirky style of “down-to-earth entertainment and food-focused fun, built around the legendary West Coast whitebait”, Westland District Council event organiser Sonya Matthews said.

“The Great West Coast Whitebait Festival is a chance for Cantabrians, many of whom are loyal fans of the Wildfoods Festival, to taste, see and enjoy the very best of the Coast right there in their own backyard.”

Three hundred kilograms of whitebait will be cooked up into an estimated 9000 patties at the festival, among fishy stories of whitebaiting experiences.

“The festival will have a little bit of something for everyone, from more bait cooked in more styles than you could imagine to a fiercely contested Great Bait Debate, to gourmet nosh-ups with a wild flavour, an iconic photographic essay and much, much more,” she said.

“It will be a fantastic day out for all the family, with not just food but plenty of West Coast inspired entertainment and hospitality, as well as a chance for us to showcase all the attractions of Westland, including the Wildfoods Festival.”

Organisers are talking to a range of stallholders, entertainers, sponsors and supporters.

• Tickets to the Christchurch festival are on sale at www.WhitebaitFest.com. Early bird tickets are $27, or $47 on the day.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebait-festival-taken-cantabrians


Whitebait festival heads east for a day

The Greymouth Star | Wednesday, 11 July 2012

THE TEAM behind the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival is taking the inaugural Great West Coast Whitebait Festival to Christchurch for one day in October — along with 9000 whitebait patties.

The Cranmer Square event at Labour Weekend will include entertainment and food-focused fun, built around West Coast whitebait.

Westland District Council event organiser Sonya Matthews said the festival was something the team had been cooking up for a while, as a way of bringing a distinctly West Coast flavour to new audiences.

“The Great West Coast Whitebait Festival is a chance for Cantabrians, many of whom are loyal fans of the Wildfoods Festival, to taste, see and enjoy the very best of the Coast right here in their own backyard,” she said.

“With very generous support from Westland District Council and the Christchurch City Council, we’ve been able to build the foundation of what we believe will become a real highlight of the Canterbury festival calendar.”

They plan to cook up 300kg of whitebait into at least 9000 patties, with bait cooked in “more styles than you can imagine”.

The event also includes the Great Bait Debate, gourmet nosh-ups with a wild flavour, and a photographic essay.

Organisers are talking to a range of stallholders, entertainers, sponsors and supporters, with opportunities for anyone from either coast.

Tickets go on sale today. Early-bird tickets cost $27. Organisers plan to donate the proceeds of the on-site auctions to the ‘Rebuild Christchurch’ fund.

http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/whitebait-festival-heads-east-day

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Whitebaiters to be under scrutiny

Flout the rules and pay the price

By MATT BOWEN - Waikato Times | Thursday, 12 July 2012


STING: DOC officer Chris Annandale removes an unattended whitebait fishing net from the
Waikato River between Tuakau and Port Waikato. — PETER DRURY/Waikato Times.

NOW'S THE TIME for whitebait fishers to start boning up on the rules with the season fast approaching.

A successful prosecution in May was a prime example of someone flouting the rules and paying the price.

A man was caught fishing illegally last season near Port Waikato with two nets and was found to be more than 10 metres from his net.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and was fined $1000 plus forfeiture of the net and $139 court costs.

Department of Conservation spokesperson Chris Annandale said the whitebait regulations haven't changed since 1994 but everyone needs to be aware of the rules relating to net size, where they can actually fish on the riverbank and the need to stay within 10 metres of their net at all times.

The whitebait season extends from August 15 to November 30 in all parts of New Zealand, except the West Coast of the South Island and people caught fishing out of season without a permit, or if any rules and regulations are breached, they face hefty fines. Waikato Tainui manages applications for customary permits.

Fishing is allowed between 5am and 8pm from the start of the season, and then from 6am to 9pm when New Zealand daylight saving time comes into effect.

Illegal equipment or equipment illegally set will be seized by Department of Conservation compliance staff during random patrols.

General information is available at any Department of Conservation office and copies of the regulations are also available online.

DoC will undertake random compliance patrols during the whitebait season to ensure fishers are abiding by the fishing regulations.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/7268100/Whitebaiters-to-be-under-scrutiny

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Wildfoods wants Tohu wine

By SONIA BEAL - The Marlborough Express | Friday, 13 July 2012


FESTIVAL CHEERS: Tohu Wines winemaker Bruce Taylor
and marketing manager Jessica Thomas celebrate at the
company's Awatere Valley vineyard after being awarded
the contract as exclusive wine supplier for the annual
Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, as well as the inaugural
Great West Coast Whitebait Festival at
Christchurch in October.

TOHU WINES has been granted the contract as the main beverage supplier for the annual Hokitika Wildfoods Festival after a successful trial run at this year's event.

The wine company has secured the contract for the festival till 2016. It has also been handed an exclusive agreement for the inaugural Great West Coast Whitebait Festival in Christchurch this year.

Tohu Wines, with vineyards in Marlborough's Awatere Valley and Waihopai Valley, is owned by the Nelson-based Wakatu Incorporation.

Tohu Wines winemaker Bruce Taylor and marketing manager Jessica Thomas were "thrilled" at the news.

Mr Taylor believed the festival selection was driven by the label's single vineyard, land-focused approach to winemaking that captured the essence of the Awatere.

Westland District Council marketing manager Sonya Matthews said Tohu Wines had resonated with the wildfood festival organisers as it tied in with the event's "food from the land" focus.

"We really liked the fact that Tohu is Maori-owned, and have a strong association with the land, which is very much what the festival is about — food from the land," Ms Matthews said.

The shift to Tohu Wines, from Monteiths and the West Coast Brewery beers, as the main beverage at the event came as a result of research and organisers wanting to cater to older festival-goers, Ms Matthews said.

Wildfoods attracted a surprisingly large number of festival-goers aged over 30.

A Business and Economic Research Ltd report of this year's Hokitika Wildfoods Festival found 48 per cent of those who attended were from Canterbury, and more than half were aged over 30: 30-39 years, 19 per cent; 40-49 years, 19 per cent; 50-59 years, 17 per cent. Just 29 per cent were aged between 21 and 29.

Meanwhile, wildfoods organisers were still etching out the rest of their plans for the Great West Coast Whitebait Festival in Christchurch in October.

The festival, which has support from the Westland District and the Christchurch City councils, promised to deliver the same quirky style of down-to-earth entertainment and food-focused fun, with West Coast whitebait "the star of the show", Ms Matthews said.

Whitebait fans from around the country and Cantabrians, many of whom were loyal supporters of the wildfoods festival, would have the chance to taste, see and enjoy something with a West Coast flavour in their own backyard, she said.

The Great West Coast Whitebait Festival will be held on October 20 in Cranmer Square in central Christchurch.

Tickets to the new Christchurch festival are available at WhitebaitFest.co.nz.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/7272325/Wildfoods-wants-Tohu-wine

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Major breakthrough as rare native fish reproduced

ONE News | Friday, 20 July 2012


ARTIFICIALLY BRED: An adult whitebait,
or giant kokopu. — Picture: ONE News.

SCIENTISTS at the Mahurangi Technical Centre are celebrating a major breakthrough after successfully breeding one of NZ's rarest native fish.

The giant kokopu is one of six whitebait species in New Zealand whose habitat is being destroyed by man and cows, but it's now the first to be bred successfully in captivity.

"Closing the life cycle of the giant kokopu is just so exciting because now that's been achieved, it opens it up to environmental restoration projects and also commercialisation of whitebait farming," Mahurangi Technical Institute director Paul Decker told ONE News.

It has taken the team five years to get to this point, through a process of trial and error in perfecting the exact temperature and conditions for the whitebait to thrive.

Seventy thousand fertilised fish eggs have been produced this week and next year 200 adult fish will be released into the Tawharanui fish sanctuary.

"To put fish back in that will start that life cycle again is really important. It's a big step for New Zealand for freshwater fish conservation," DOC biodiversity ranger Thelma Wilson said.

The breakthrough is also good news for foodies who enjoy fresh whitebait fritters.

"We'll be able to supply eggs to whitebait farmers, they hatch them, grow them on for three months and then sell them to the marketplace."

"That export potential as a restaurant product is just massive," says Decker.

• Watch a video of the news item.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/major-breakthrough-rare-native-fish-reproduced-4978276

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Fears of losing whitebait prompt ban call

By KAY BLUNDELL - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 28 July 2012


MIKE JOY: Concerns have been raised over whitebait supplies,
with a freshwater scientist fearing four species are under
threat unless fishing restrictions are tightened
in New Zealand. — Photo: Fairfax NZ.

AS THE whitebait season looms, a freshwater scientist is calling for tighter fishing restrictions to protect threatened species.

Massey University's Dr Mike Joy said four of the five species of whitebait were as threatened as wood pigeons.

"No-one would eat a wood pigeon fritter but whitebait have the same threat ranking," he said.

The whitebait season opens throughout the country — except on the West Coast — on August 15 and runs to November 30, with fishing restricted to 5am to 8pm, or 6am to 9pm during daylight saving. The Conservation Department (DOC) manages whitebaiting.

Dr Joy said regulations governing the fishery needed updating.

"Whitebait regulations have not changed for decades despite a lot of new information. There is no fishing overnight to let juveniles get up rivers and streams, but now it turns out they do not make their way up at night. DOC has to stop the commercial sale of whitebait in restaurants and look at reducing the season to protect the fishery.

"They are declining and we are going to lose them."

He believed regulations similar to those for trout should be introduced.

"Trout have total protection — you need a licence to fish them and you are not allowed to sell them."

"Individuals should be allowed to go and catch a feed of whitebait for themselves or a friend but you should not be able to buy them in a restaurant, shop or supermarket."

Freshwater studies showed if waterways continued to be destroyed at the present rate, there would be no native fish left by 2050, he said.

"That is the warning. We are destroying our rivers. The first sign is all our fish are starting to disappear. People get angry about killing endangered whales but do not take the same stance with whitebait in the backyard."

DOC spokesman Reuben Williams said whitebait fisheries managed by the department in both the North and South Island were only recreational, though whitebait was sold in restaurants.

"They are not commercially fished," he said.

"Freshwater scientists, NIWA and DOC monitor catch rates which fluctuate from season to season. You have to look at it long-term. Our role is to manage the fishery at the same time as managing waterways and working with the public to try and improve water quality, especially on conservation land which we administer."

The whitebait season on the West Coast, where bumper catches are frequently reported, runs from September 01 to November 14.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7366591/Fears-of-losing-whitebait-prompt-ban-call