About 60 attendees listened as Department of Conservation freshwater manager Elizabeth Heeg described
changes to fishing practices, season dates and upstream fishing limits, and the introduction of refuges.
Doc began a review of the system in 2018.
Ms Heeg said the changes were aimed at restoring healthy whitebait populations and providing a sustainable fishery; four of the six species of native fish it comprised were threatened or at risk of extinction.
Some at the consultation questioned the need for changes.
One attendee asked why Doc would ban the use of gear such as sock nets that helped elderly people and disabled people to fish for whitebait.
Another person asked whether the department would consider a buyback scheme for expensive items such as sock nets.
‘‘I’ve invested a lot of money into my gear.’’
One attendee said there was no point in making a submission because the proposed changes were most likely ‘‘already set in stone’’.
In addition to answering questions from the floor, Ms Heeg recommended attendees make submissions on the proposed changes to have their voices heard.
‘‘We don’t consider this a finished job. We want your feedback on changing whitebaiting for the first time in a long time.’’
The meeting was one of 21 held around the country as part of the consultation process, which closes on March 2.
The next will be held in Auckland on February 10.
Dissatisfaction was clear at a consultation meeting in Invercargill last week when many in the 200-strong crowd raised their hands to say there was no need to amend the fishing regulations.
At that meeting, many attendees voiced their concerns about whether their advice would be heeded.
Doc will present its recommendations to Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage, who will take them to the Cabinet.
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Comments
Minister Eugenie Sage is on the record telling all New Zealanders we should give up milk, meat and fish and go vegan.
So I doubt anything supportive of whitebaiters will be allowed past her desk.
Instead, we'll be told yet again - like children - what we're not allowed to do, eat, and have.
The issue is depletion by overfishing. It is not extreme.
I suspect that claiming depletion by overfishing is a simplification of the problem. You can add habitat loss, water quality issues and polluted run off, invasive species, and probably warmer ocean and river temperatures to the mix. The problem with focussing only on the take side of the equation is that it won't solve the problem of whitebait decline or species loss, but it is probably better than doing nothing...