TROUT VERSUS WHITEBAIT.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1927, Page 4

TROUT VERSUS WHITEBAIT.

WELLINGTON SOCIETY’S VIEW

There is no apparent decrease in this district ot whitebait. Of course trout do eat whitebait, but trout live mostly in fresh waters, and whitebait only occasionally in such—it would be rash to assert that any harm is done to the industry here.

It has been asked by the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies’ Association l onfcrence in September, that the whitebait season be only for 2.J months, because of the excessive illegal taking. Mr Hefford intends to enquire into the question. You should liberate your fry as usual. (Signed) C. 1. DASEXT. Secretary, "Wellington Aeelirnalisation Society. GREY SOCIETY’S VIEW. In reply to your eiicular of .‘loth April with regal'd to the decreased run of whitebait during past years, and the cflect that trout have on same. The members of the Grey Society are of the opinion that trout have very little to do with the decrease of whitebait. There is no doubt that they do take same, but from the observations of fishermen who have fished all rivers for years and who examine all fish taken to ascertain what they are feeding upon is that very few fish have whitebait inside them during the whitebait season. The principal food is bullies. The two principal reasons for the decreased run of whitebait are in the opinion of members of the Grey Society:—Over-fishing and pollution of the streams with sawdust. Dealing firstly with over-fishing: T think that members of your Society ' will agree that it has been proved conclusively that whitebait are the young 1 of the lnanga. The . adult lnanga 1 comes down the rivers during the later part of February or the beginning of ( March to spawn at sea. There is some * doubt as to whether the lnanga. after j 1 spawning returns to the rivers or dies 1 at sea.

From enquiries made amongst fishermen and others, no one has seen the adult lnanga returning upstream. If they do not return to the rivers it is easy to account for the decreased run of whitebait. As from the number of persons fishing and the number of nets used very few escape upstream to mature for the next season. I am quite sure that if your Society mnfle

enquires with regard to the run of whitebait in the southern rivers in your district, they would find that whitebait are ns plentiful now as they were twenty years ago. and that trout are more plentiful than in the northern rivers.

Members of the Grey Society are ol the opinion that the Marine Department should have -a certain period defined when whitebait may be taken. At the present time they are taken from the time they first make their appearance until they cease running, and few in comparison are allowed to escape upstream to return again in tile autumn as adult lnanga to the sea to perpetuate those species. With regard to the pollution ol streams with sawdust, you will find on enquiries that, the rivers that- are not polluted with sawdust are the rivers that whitebait are most plentiful in. The reason that whitebait are not plentiful in polluted streams is that the sawdust fills up the mouth of the small streams which are the maturing grounds for The Lianga. (Signed) J. \Y. STUBBS, Secretary, Grev Acclimatisation Society.