The government has announced new rules for whitebait fishing including a shorter season and changes to the gear allowed to be used.
A whitebaiting net (file image). Photo: RNZ Insight/Teresa Cowie
Acting Conservation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said regulations had not been reviewed since the 1990s and there were about 11,500 submissions on the proposals.
Fishing will now only be allowed in estuaries and near river mouths, and it will be paused in parts of Abel Tasman and Fiordland national park.
Gear may only take up a quarter of the width of a waterway rather than a third.
Nationwide, nets must not be longer than 6m.
"Whitebait are a valuable part of the indigenous biodiversity of Aotearoa, and are taonga and mahinga kai for Māori," Verrall said.
Four of six whitebait species are threatened or at risk of extinction.
"While fishing pressure is a contributing factor, habitat loss, environmental degradation, impeded fish passage within river systems, loss of spawning sites and introduced fish species are also impacting whitebait numbers."
"We want to ensure the whitebait fishery survives and thrives, for all New Zealanders, while maintaining long-held traditions and encouraging responsible fishing practices."
The Department of Conservation has been asked to gather more evidence about the state of the fishery.
The changes will be phased in over three years.
2021 season changes
- Fishing will be prohibited within 20m of structures such as weirs and groynes where fish congregate
- Screens will be the only lawful diversion device and limited to 3m maximum length
- The rule that only one net can be used when fishing from a stand will be extended to all of New Zealand
- The maximum incursion of fishing gear (excluding stands) into a waterway, will be one-quarter of its width, nationwide
- The minimum fixed distance between fixed fishing gear (not stands) will be 20m
- Fishing can only occur in estuaries and near river mouths nationwide. This is already the case on the West Coast
- More whitebait refuges in waterbodies that flow out of Abel Tasman and Fiordland national parks will help to protect whitebait populations, similar to whitebait refuges already in place on the West Coast
- The proposal is to extend the current exclusion in place from Yates Point to Puysegur Point, to also include the South Coast as far as Waitutu River mouth. Martins Bay (even though it is within Fiordland National Park) is not being proposed as a refuge
2022 season changes
- The season to shorten to 1 September - 30 October for all New Zealand
2023 season changes
- Overall length limit for fishing gear of 6m for all New Zealand
