WHITEBAIT

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1927, Page 4

WHITEBAIT

EX TEH M 1 NATIOX I 'E AH E D

! KUEEGTS ON TROUT ITSHLXt

(Christchurch “Press.”)

As the result of a paper on ‘‘Whitebait,” by Air D. Hope, Curator of the A< climatisation Society’s Gardens, read at Wednesday night's meeting of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury. it was decided, on the motion of Professor A. Wall, that the Council ej the Institute should consider at its next meeting the ijuestion ol a close season for whitebait. “To the residents of Canterbury of forty years ago whitebait was a very (omnton article of diet, owing to the immense shoals which ascended the livers at that period." said Mr Hope. “Tihe general public know very little of their life history, and there was a great diversity oi opinion as to their identity. I carried out a series of experiments. to satisfy myself on this point, at Auckland. Canterbury, and Southland, hv keeping a quantity oi live whitebait in captivity, enclosed in a small pond, as nearly under natural conditions as possible and noted their growth. The results were the same on each occasion : the growth was extremely rapid, and reached tfie inanga stage in a few weeks, so that T was quite convinced that whitebait was the young of the inanga. TROUT FOOD CONTROVERSY. "A controversy having arisen in |92ti regarding trout food. I again carried

out the same experiment. On August 17th a small cpiantity of live whitebait was procured and placed in a pond where they would find a natural food supply. I preserved one specimen and another after three weeks and continued doing; this at intervals of three weeks up to fifteen weeks. 'I he grow Lit, especially during; the first six weeks, was remarkably rapid. •‘As these examples of grow th were obtained from whitebait kepi under natural conditions and as x had heard the opinion expressed that whitebait remain whitebait always (proof of this statement having; allegedly been obtained l.y keeping; them in an aquaruim) T carried out another experiment to ascertain the effect upon their rate of growth of artificial feeding. On October lfitk. I!)2d, I placed a quantity of live AVaimakariri Whitohait in a fry-box. which had a small stream of water running through it. Tho feed given was raw liver grated very small. A specimen was preserved on October Kith as whitebait, and further specimens ai intervals of one month from that dale. Ihe growth was vr»r,v slow in comparison with the growth of those kept under natural conditions, and it would appear that, as with trout, food of the requisite quantity and quality is a major determining factor in the rate of growth of whitebait. TIHVUT IX XKAV Zlf AT. AND.

"The introduction ot trout into New Zealand waters was attended with sin'a iiuinense success that the results exceeded the expectations of the most sanguine. The iish rapidly attained to a size and number unheard of in the I latent stock, and in a very lew years all our rivers were stocked with heavy lish from their sources to the sea. The fact, that their introduction has proved such a phenomenal success would sugoest that in New Xeaiiul waters they had found a food supply which was eminently suited In thor needs, and which induced rapid growth. . Trout followed the shoals upstream, and. finding an unlimited supply of found, remained there all the summer, thus providing excellent fishing in any part of the streams. , . Trout feed very little during the winter months and after .spawning in the upper waters drop down to the brackish waters to recuperate.. In the spring they Iced ravenously and it is at this period that the whitebait make their appearance to supply their needs and lead them upstream, where they rapidly regain condition. EFFECT ON TROI’T FISH I NO. ‘‘At the present time, however, conditions have altered considerably, by the increase in populaton and the con-st-(|iient increased demand for whitebait as a table delicacy. The greater portion are now taken ai the mouths of the rivers as they oilier, and in comparison very few are allowed to ascend. In i o/iset|iience. very low imingn are now found up-stream. This has had a very marked effect upon ] our trout fishing. . . 'Whitebait fishing is a most important industry. ' and from an economic point of view ja very valuable national asset. Hut i under the present system of fishing it ! is in extreme danger ol extermination. At the present time there is not even a defined season of taking whitebait. In the case of our native and imported game a season is provided, and if it is deemed necessary a closed season is enforced. On the West Coast a, whitebait cannery is established, and in addition a cannery boat, which lias been used to fish the virgin streams of South Westland, the last stronghold of the whitebait. Before the advent ot the .Midland Railway the cost of transport "ais prohibitive hut c.t the present time large quantities are forwarded caoh season to supply the demand in Christchurch. “As. each individual whitebait is potentially an inanga capable of reproducing its species, this indiscriminate fishing must eventually lead to disaster unless stops are taken to conserve them before it is too late. The Government, through the Tourist Department, spends large sums of money each year advertising New Zealand to attract visitors to our shores tor our lamous fishing and scenic attractions, and at the same time it entirely neglects the nia/in cause of the lame of our lish-

Professor Wall said that the subject was vitally important and the Institute could, possibly, forward to the Government a resolution that would do a great deal ol good.

Replying to a (piestion. Air Hope said that if something was not* done the whitebait would go the way of the native birds.