TROUT v. WHITEBAIT.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1927, Page 4

TROUT v. WHITEBAIT.

(To the Editor.) Sir. Tiie thanks of the public are due to you for the information supplied oil the above, and your exceedingly fair comments thereon. The quantity of whitebait caught in this district last season v.as about 40 tons and the value over six thousand pounds.

The Society propose to hatch out two hundred thousand ova and say that ten per cent, reach adult size they would consume us inueli whitebait as the fishermen catch. If the estimate is too high the fact that the rivers are fairly wall stocked with trout, and that the trout do not continue their depreciations on the whitebait at the entrance of the river, hut follow them up stream and cat them when the whitebait ranch (he adult stage, and further follow them down stream again when as eiiang as the fish are return-

ing to tho sea to spawn, shows that their effect ill reducing the number of whitebait may he even greater than the fishermen’s toll. The Canterbury and Southland Acclimatisation Solutes suggest close season for whitebait, not to conserve the people’s food supplies, hut to feed the trout. There is no part of New Zealand j where the whitebait are more abnn- ! dant than on the Coast, hut if a halt l is not called in the introduction of | foreign fish it will he only a question of time when it will he in the same position as Canterbury and Southland, and it is deplorable to think that this valuable and delicate little fish almost peculiar to New Zealand should have to go the way of our native birds, which the stoats and weasels are fast exterminating and'for which stoats and weasels, sparrows and blackbirds, rabbits and deer can hardly he considered a fair compensation. The greyling, which swarmed in our rivers and the fresh water flounders have been nearly wiped 'out by the trout, and given the numbers, the same process will go on with the whitebait. On the side of sentiment as well as general utility we should endeavour to preserve at least something from the wreck. The question with regard to the whitebait industry has not been raised seriously before and no doubt 1 have established ideas and prejudices, lmt the industry is one of the few we have derived from natural resources, and at least is worthy of some effort being made for its preservation. 'With the severe depression prevailing it will assist some to carry

•Mr Hope, the Curator of Fisheries, Canterbury says: “As a national asset and a f(K)d supply for the general public, the whitebait fishing is one of our important industries, its value as a national asset is of far more importance than its undoubted value as a trout food.” W'e appeal for an unbiased and careful consideration of the problem for everyone concerned. • I am etc., GEORGE PERRY.