Flounders galore

Press, 19 April 1979, Page 1

Flounders galore

Flounder fishermen are reaping such a rich harvest from Lake Ellesmere this season that the fish are selling in Christchurch for less than 10c each. One city retailer said yesterday that he was seling between 15,000 and 20,000 flounders a week as prices dropped to the lowest for many years. Another, the Fendalton Fish and Meat Market, was yesterday offering 60 flounders for $5.80 — or 9.7 c each. “The lake is teeming with them this year, and if we don’t sell them cheaply someone else will,” said the owner of the

shop, Mr B. E. Mather, who is also president of the Christchurch Fish Retailers’ Association. In the picture above, Mr Mather shows his bargain package. One theory to explain the huge flounder catches is the heavy fishing in recent years of Lake Ellesmere’s eel population, which preys on flounders, trout, and perch in the lake. “The eels took a real hammering until they came under tire Fisheries Control Act this year. Now the eel fishermen are restricted to a quota,” said Mr Mather.

Since the eel quota system was introduced, many eel fishermen have swelled the numbers of full-time and part-time flounder fishermen on the lake. “This could be another reason for the glut of flounders on the market,” said Mr Mather. Most of the flounders being taken from the lake this year are small “sea whites.” There is no size limit on flounders. However, fishermen believe that the big catches of small fish will not harm the lake’s flounder population, but benefit it by reducing competition for food.