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Whitebaiters reportedly flout rules

Amber Allott

Department of Conservation staff will be patrolling Canterbury’s whitebaiting hotspots amid reports some frequent fishermen are reluctant to follow the new rules.

In June, the then acting Conservation Minister Ayesha Verrall announced changes to whitebaiting regulations, which had last been reviewed in 1990.

The changes, to be phased in over three years, include a shorter season, new regulations and size limits on fishing gear – fixed nets a maximum of 3 metres long and 20m apart – and restrictions to fishing only in estuaries and near river mouths.

Whitebait are the babies of six species of native fish, four of which are classified as endangered or declining.

But one Canterbury whitebaiter, a regular around the Waimakariri River mouth who did not want to be named, said he saw upwards of a dozen rule-breakers in the area every day.

The biggest issue, he said, was people using oversized fishing gear – usually set-nets over 6 metres in length – although he had been told about others fishing past the 8pm limit.

The man said he had made multiple reports to the Department of Conservation (DOC), and had sent photos and car registration numbers, but little had been done in terms of enforcing the rules.

‘‘The rules are in place for a reason ... If they’re doing it here, others are probably doing it elsewhere [too].’’

DOC’s Mahaanui operations manager Andy Thompson said the new regulations were clear and readily available, and it was disappointing to hear some were not following them.

DOC is undertaking compliance patrols, he said, which include weekends and early mornings.

Rangers will focus on popular whitebaiting spots including the Waimakariri River mouth.

‘‘A number of patrols have been completed so far, but we cannot be everywhere at the same time.’’

Thompson encouraged people to phone in if they saw others breaking the rules. Calls would be logged and used to identify potential problem spots for the next patrol.

When people are not complying, rangers can take either an educational or compliance approach. That could include a $400 fine – or up to $800 if that fine was appealed, or not paid.

‘‘The new whitebaiting regulations are an important step towards a sustainable whitebait fishery,’’ he said.

On Thursday evening about 20 whitebaiters, with either drag or setnets, were fishing at the Waimakariri River mouth.

While most nets being used appeared to be within legal limits, a number were too close together.

But Christchurch local Mark Fleming, who often whitebaits at the site, said most regulars knew the rules – and followed them.

‘‘People would be stupid to try and buck the system,’’ he said, with Fish & Game rangers regularly stopping by.

Fleming said most whitebaiters were environmentally conscious, and he believed season and hour limits meant plenty of the tiny fish made it up the river to spawn.

‘‘Every fisherman, whether that’s trout, salmon, or whitebait, want it to keep existing. If tweaking the rules is going to help with spawning, [and] if the rules are sensible, we can all co-exist.’’

But he said it was a matter of making sure the rules stayed sensible.

‘‘We don’t need a licence here which is nice, I don’t think that needs to be part of the system.’’

‘‘There’s lots of nice old ladies who just pop down to get enough for their dinner, it’d be a shame if they had to do that [obtain a licence].’’

There is also no quota limiting how many whitebait can be caught, though Fleming said such a limit would mostly affect the more serious whitebaiters who fish to supplement their income.

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2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281681143025220

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