WHITEBAIT FISHERY.

Shannon News, 20 September 1927, Page 3

WHITEBAIT FISHERY.

ALLEGED CORNERING. GENERAL ENQUIRY TO TAKE PLAGE. WELLINGTON, Sept. 15. Whitebait fishing methods have been under review by the Native Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, as a result of a petition from 73 persons in the Kaiapoi district, praying that the use of set nets for catching whitebait in the Ashley River be made illegal. The committee reported to-day, recommending the Governm'ent to hold an inquiry into this matter. The Hon. D. Buddo explained that there was' a considerable amount of difficulty over the use of set nets at (ho mouth of the Ashley River. The fishermen were at a loss to know the exact position in view of the fisheries inspectors * decision. If anything could ; IP done to meet the wishes of fishermen without jeopardising the interests if fishing, it should be undertaken. lie .vould be glad if the Minister would have an investigation. Mr Howard explained that set nets had been so placed that the whitebait had no chance to pass in running up it ream. Thus the Maoris were deprived of food. It was alleged that people having property on the foreshore had •■.rented this position, and it would be udvisablfe for the Minister of Marine .o look into the point whether the regulations were being evaded. Mr Horn suggested that difficulty was experienced in many other southern rivers. Whitebait ran close to the banks, and there was a practice of building trenches which the whitebait used, and these could -be covered by set nets. The man nearest the mouth of the river got nearly all the whitebait.

.Mr Uru, Southern - Maori member, congratulated the committee on its report. It was, he said, an urgent question to the Maoris of Kaiapoi, who wanted the whitebait for food. Some were also fishing for sale. “And we all look for money nowadays,” he said. An expert with a set net could absolutely dominate the position. A reserve was sot apart for the Natives to catch whitebait, but it was useless, because eeople ahead of them caught everything in set nets. An inquiry should be held at once, because the whitebait season was in progress. Mr Eorbes suggested that it was the responsibility of the Marine Department to see that whitebaiting was conducted on fair lines. It looked as if whitebait supplies were decreasing, which accentuated the trouble over set nets.

Mr A. Hamilton supported the views of Mr Uru. An inquiry was necessary, because an injustice had been done to the Maoris througlh dome Europeans purchasing land in a strategic place, which enabled them .to practically scoop the pool. It was reported that these people had made as much as £IOOO annually from this system of commercial cornering. The Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Marine, replied that a rather extensive controversy was going on over whitebait, and before next season he would have the matter properly investigated, while the Ashley River trouble would be looked into at once. Whitebait tinning was once a very flourishing industry, but the trout seemed to take heavy toll of them, and now salmon were probably helping to keep clown supplies. The Government could not allow individuals to buy up the banks of a river and corner the whole whitebait supply. The committee’s report was adopted., A further petition on the question vas presented by Sir Maui Pomare. In this case the petitioners were the Ngati Raukawa tride residing in the Maimwatur district, who asked for the re moval of the restrictions imposed by the Crown on the stream, flowing from he Whakapuni Lake, which prohibit ,he tribe from fishing for whitebait. The petition states that the lake was ,he life water of the ancestors of the tribe, and was theirs to-day, the fish obtained being eels, flounders, and whitebait.

This petition will be considered in the usual course.