WHITEBAIT

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1928, Page 4

WHITEBAIT

DANGER OF EXTINCTION. RESTRICTIONS ON FISHING NEEDED., CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 5. Another whitebait season bus begun and nothing has been done to regulate tbe taking of these fish, which are peculiar to Now Zealand waters. Mr D. Hope, Curator to the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, told a “Press” reporter yesterday that the present policy, long-continued, would bring about the extinction of a valuable national asset. Commercial interests in tho whitebait industry were ruling, and the Government, the only authority of which notice would be taken, was short-sighted enough to turn a deaf oar to those who warned that conservation was necessary. Two of New Zealand’s most valuable assets, its native fauna and its native forests, bad been well on the way to extinction before the Government thought of interfering, and whitebait were rapidly going the same way. “There are those who say that whitebait in New Zealand are not diminishing, for more were caught last year than over before,” said Air Hope. "This hitter is true, because there were more fishermen last year than ever before. Half tho Vest Coast wore whitebait fishermen last year, and many of them were supplying fishmongers. But whitebait will not stand bofore these wholesale depredations year after year. I have observed them closely for years, and old Canferburi settlers will know that once it was only necessary to go to any of the rivers to obtain all the fish ono required. Where in Canterbury’ can this lie done to-day? It is only the virgin streams in the south of the West Coast .of the South Island which, having never been fished, are maintaining tho supply of the rivers on the Coast further up. There were 20 tons of whitebait transported to Christ1, urcli from the AVtest Coast last year.” Mr Hope continued by saying that tho Government was considering only the commercial value of the industry at tho present; it did not look to tho future. Those engaged in the industry 1 did not care about tbe future because they would have had their dry when whitebait were no more for tho amateur fisherman. .

AH Hope did not advocate regulation hv making a. lienso compulsory, for tins would be welcomed by those who lived on the industry as tending to exclude the private fisherman. Ho thought that regulating the season t’’ two or three months in the year would serve the purpose.