Days When Whitebait Were Very Plentiful

Chronicle (Levin), 14 November 1949, Page 4

Days When Whitebait Were Very Plentiful

The good ship "Jane Douglas" berthed at the Foxton wharf early in the year 1885. The cook aboard the vessel evidently knew someohing of New Zealand, for fie climbed to the bridge and asked the captain if he would like gomeWhitebait for breakfast. The captain being agreeable, - the cook lowered two buekets over the side

of the ship and scooped up enough whitebait to supply the . entire Ship's complement for a meal, This story was told by one of Levin's oldest residents, Mr. D. Gardiner, of Sussex Street, as an example of the large amount of whitebait that thrived in New Zealand waters over 60 years ago. "It was nothing to get a kerosene tin full of whitebait in one haul," continued Mr. . Gardiner, Who went on to describe the method employed to catch the smali fish in those days. It was the practice to walk along the beacihes near the mouths of rivers with a jelly bag dragging in the water. These bags were about six feet wide. at the open end and tapered down to a poiiit at the other. "A good haul generally yielded about a kerosene tin full," he sadd. "We used tp feed them to- the ducks," he added, Mr. Gardiner, who has made more than a casual study of the habits of whitebait, was most emphatic about the correct periods to net the fish. The only practicable time to net whitebait was during and just after the spring tides, he stated. It was during this period that the shoals left the heads of the rivers and began to make their way upstream. At this stage of their journey the fish were young and always swam against the tide. In a tidal river they would turn about aind face the current until such time as it changed direetion and they were abie to continue upstream. In March the whitebait started to come down the river - again, always swimming in the nfiddle until they reaehed the mouth, he commented. "Whitebait spawned at full tide, high up on the beaeh. "In the old days the Maoris used to say that it took the effect of fresh and sea water to hatch out the spawn, and that was why the fish used to spawn somewhere near the mouth of a river." Many years ago Mr. Gardiner had the opportunity to catch some strange species of what were presumably whitebait. The fish, whiph were about two inches in length, were . ©pmpletely trans-; parent except for a small red spot, which Mr. Gardiner took to be the heart. They swam in a constant sfream and were so thin that a mosquito net dragged in the water did not collect many. The only way to catch them was by a rapid scooping method. Some of the strange fish were sent to the museum at Wellington, but the authorities there were unable to identify them. They advised sending a specimen to the curator of the Christchurch Museum, but unfortunately by that time the fish had disappeared from the river and were never seen again. "The Maoris of the day found them very good eating," cpncluded Mr. Gardiner.