Media release

9 October 2013

Otago whitebaiters flout the rules

The Department of Conservation in Coastal Otago has been inundated with reports of whitebaiters flouting the regulations and threatening the sustainability of the fishery.

Over the past month DOC Coastal Otago has received calls nearly every day from concerned whitebaiters who are reporting nets being left unattended, night fishing, oversize nets, dumping of fish on river banks and poor behaviour in general. The Clutha and Taieri River mouths appear to be hot spots for illegal behaviour.

“We’ve been hearing about whitebaiters breaking every rule at just about every river in the region” says DOC senior ranger Pete Ravenscroft. “There is no excuse for people breaching the whitebaiting regulations. They are simple and have been in place for years. If we don’t take care of this fishery now we will destroy it for our grandchildren”.

DOC is particularly concerned about reports of whitebaiters dumping glass eels on the Clutha River bank. The whitebait regulations prohibit discarding on shore any fish taken when fishing for whitebait. In the Clutha River, glass eels are the juvenile form of the longfin eel/tuna. Longfin eels are declining and DOC is concerned about the long term viability of the population.

DOC would also like to remind whitebaiters that any deflectors and boards attached to whitebait nets form part of the fishing gear, which in total should not exceed 6 metres in length.

This whitebaiting season DOC is observing more people than ever out and about on Otago’s river banks. Whitebaiters are leaving their equipment on public land to reserve a favoured spot. “While not illegal, this kind of behaviour is just not on and ruins the experience for others. Public land is there for everyone to enjoy” Mr Ravenscroft says.

DOC is pleased that some responsible whitebaiters are taking care of this valuable resource by reporting illegal behaviour. Rangers will be visiting whitebaiting locations over the next few weeks to ensure all whitebaiters are playing by the rules.

The whitebait season is open between 15 August and 30 November (inclusive) in all areas of New Zealand except the West Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Islands.

Information about whitebait regulations can be found on the DOC website www.doc.govt.nz

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