Whitebait facing extinction within a generation, Government warned

Friday, 20 April 2018

Whitebaiting is a New Zealand tradition.

The Government has been warned New Zealand's whitebait population could be wiped out within the next 16 years.

The Aoraki Conservation Board has made the claim in a letter calling on the Government to act urgently or risk having the fishery die out.

The declining Whitebait population has led the Aoraki Conservation Board to call for a Government-wide response.

In an open letter to the Ministers of Conservation, Environment and Fisheries, the board expresses its concern about the status of whitebait Inanga in New Zealand.

'Inanga is made up of five species, three of which are in decline and one is threatened . . . without immediate action, one of the five whitebait species could be extinct within three years and all five extinct by 2034,' the letter says.

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'In this open letter we wish to call upon the Government to undertake an interdepartmental review of the whitebait fishery and associated issues.

'Given the government's renewed focus on biodiversity management, it is an opportune moment to work together on an integrated approach.'

Board chairman Mick Abbott said research indicated time was running out.

'We think this really requires prompt consideration from the government. The status quo is not good enough.'

Abbott said there were a range of issues about the current state of whitebait fishing regulation.

In particular, the existence of three differing sets of whitebait regulations, and the lack of recreational quota and licensing, had caused problems down the line for whitebait numbers.

'There needs to be a co-ordinated approach. Protecting the fish for future generations must be at the top of our minds.'

The letter also outlined concern about the indiscriminate nature of some types of whitebait nets and the by-catch they produce, along with the quasi-commercial nature of some recreational whitebaiters.

'At this stage, we don't necessarily have the answers or solutions.

'But we need a strategy to help protect the species. These are challenging times for our environment'.

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

Last year, Massey University researchers Kyleisha Foote and Pierce McNie presented the Primary Production Select Committee with a petition calling for the end of commercial whitebaiting. The petition had received more than 3000 signatures.

Massey University Freshwater ecologist Mike Joy, who is a colleague of Foote, told Stuff that commercial whitebaiting needed to be stopped.

'We've been destroying their habitat for years now. The health of the whitebait is an indicator of the health of the rivers.'

Joy was pleased that the board decided to send the letter.

'It's a good start. DOC, in particular, needs a kick up the backside when it comes to protecting native fish.'

Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash said he had not received the board's letter yet, but would be talking to them in due course.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said she was expecting a report mid-year that collates the available scientific knowledge on whitebait, including their biology and ecology, population status and threats.

'I have directed the department to establish a technical advisory group to develop options for improving whitebait management. The group has yet to be established. Its work will take some months and there will be public consultation before any changes to regulations affecting whitebaiting,' she said.

'When 72 per cent of native fish are at risk of, or threatened with, extinction we need to do better in protecting their habitats.'

Sage said she had asked DOC to look at what changes are needed in legislation and current regulations to better manage native freshwater fish.

'More needs to be done. Improving the prospects for New Zealand's native freshwater fish is a priority for me as minister.'