THE WHITEBAIT SEASON

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 4

THE WHITEBAIT SEASON

None on Sale in Hastings Shops Yet WEATHER AFFECTS SUPPLIES A week has passed since the opening of tlie whitebait season but, as yet, none has appeared on sale in tha fish shops, Jind fislimongers anticipate that it will be some time before any supplies come to hand. The break in the weather, as far as Hawke's Bay was concerned, spoiled what appeared to be pospects of an early catch, but other parts of New Zealand seem to have been no more fortunate in this respect. One Hastings fish-merchant said this morning that he was expecting supplies at any time now, and, although he could give no idea of what the ruling price would be, he said he thought the fish would be much cheaper than they were last year, provided there was not tio much rain. Whitebait have already been reported in the lower reaches of the Waikato river, but it is usual for the run to begin in the north before it , does in southern rivers The indiistry provides employment for 300 wholertime and about the same number of part-time fishermen, ixostly Maoris. The average season 's catch amounts to something like 3000 hundredweight. The value of a year's hani would be about £85.000. In 1936 more than 85,000 lb. of canned whitebait was sent overseas, the value being about £8600. The best rivers are the Manawata, Waikato, Grey and Arahura. Fair hauls are sometimes obtained from W aimakariri, Ellesmere, Avon, Wairau aud Wanganui. The Ngaruroro river at Clive is where most of the Hawke's Bav supplies come from,. Tauranganui, at the Waikato rivor niouth, ia one pf the main centres of the whitebait industry, up to 20 toiis beuig handled there in a season. A caiming factory a short way up the nver exports from 500 to 1500 cases oi" whitebait a season. Six dozen halfpcuud tine go to a case. Most of the tinned fish is sent to Australia.