National Whitebaiters Guide

phone (03) 756 9100. 9100. 756 (03) phone

Tai Poutini Tai office, office, Coast West DOC’s from or www.doc.govt.nz/coastwhitebait

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Regulations differ for the West Coast. West the for differ Regulations A summary of these is available at at available is these of summary A

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. . nz/regulation/public/1994/0065/latest/DLM189522.html

http://www.legislation.govt. at online or Bookshop, Government Bennetts any

all the rules. Please familiarise yourself with the full regulations, obtainable at at obtainable regulations, full the with yourself familiarise Please rules. the all

amendments. It is a guide only, has no legal standing, and does not contain contain not does and standing, legal no has only, guide a is It amendments.

Photo: Herb Christophers. Herb Photo:

This pamphlet summarises the Whitebait Fishing Regulations 1994 and 1995 1995 and 1994 Regulations Fishing Whitebait the summarises pamphlet This

Bay of Plenty. Plenty. of Bay

Whitebaiting, Rangitaiki River, River, Rangitaiki Whitebaiting,

must be no more than 3.5 m in length. length. in 3.5 m than more no be must

flat when laid on a flat surface. Both whitebait nets and drag nets nets drag and nets whitebait Both surface. flat a on laid when flat

than 120 mm. Drag nets must be no taller than 1 m in height and be be and height in 1 m than taller no be must nets Drag 120 mm. than

local streams. local

around the inside of the net frame) and framing material no wider wider no material framing and frame) net the of inside the around

Persons offending against these regulations may be fined up to $5000. to up fined be may regulations these against offending Persons

Get involved in a community project to fence and plant plant and fence to project community a in involved Get •

Whitebait nets must have a mouth no larger than 4.5 m (measured (measured 4.5 m than larger no mouth a have must nets Whitebait

Penalties Department of Conservation or Regional Council office Council Regional or Conservation of Department

by surrounding any whitebait and being drawn through any water. any through drawn being and whitebait any surrounding by

Report any dams or overhanging culverts to your local local your to culverts overhanging or dams any Report •

with the net that is a) weighted on the bottom edge, and b) operated operated b) and edge, bottom the on weighted a) is that net the with

stream, estuary or channel. or estuary stream,

Keep streams free from pest plants and fish and plants pest from free streams Keep •

means any net or any rope, material or device used in conjunction conjunction in used device or material rope, any or net any means to interfere with, alter or modify the natural bed or banks of any river, river, any of banks or bed natural the modify or alter with, interfere to

are used, or are capable of being used, to take whitebait. ‘Drag net’ net’ ‘Drag whitebait. take to used, being of capable are or used, are Whitebait that climb are rare, please put them back them put please rare, are climb that Whitebait • Nothing in these regulations permits any person fishing for whitebait whitebait for fishing person any permits regulations these in Nothing

‘Fishing gear’ includes all nets, screens, lines or other devices that that devices other or lines screens, nets, all includes gear’ ‘Fishing

gate, confluence or culvert, or fish from any bridge, or from any vessel. vessel. any from or bridge, any from fish or culvert, or confluence gate, Release species that are not whitebait not are that species Release •

No person shall fish for whitebait within 20 m of any tide gate, flood flood gate, tide any of 20 m within whitebait for fish shall person No

Fishing gear Fishing

Keep your catch small and only take what you need need you what take only and small catch your Keep •

for whitebait. for

Follow the whitebait fishing regulations fishing whitebait the Follow •

when New Zealand Daylight Saving is being observed. being is Saving Daylight Zealand New when

No person shall discard or dump on shore any fish taken when fishing fishing when taken fish any shore on dump or discard shall person No

only permitted between 5 am and 8 pm OR between 6 am and 9 pm 9 pm and 6 am between OR 8 pm and 5 am between permitted only

from which they were obtained, taking care to ensure their survival. survival. their ensure to care taking obtained, were they which from

The taking of whitebait at all other times is prohibited. Fishing is is Fishing prohibited. is times other all at whitebait of taking The

Unlawfully taken fish must be immediately returned to the waters waters the to returned immediately be must fish taken Unlawfully

As a whitebaiter, help sustain the fishery the sustain help whitebaiter, a As

February (inclusive). February General

Chatham Islands season runs from 1 December to the last day of of day last the to December 1 from runs season Islands Chatham

is open between 15 August and 30 November (inclusive). The The (inclusive). November 30 and August 15 between open is whether or not that net is being used for fishing at the time. time. the at fishing for used being is net that not or whether

Island and the Chatham Islands, the whitebait fishing season season fishing whitebait the Islands, Chatham the and Island net that is not permitted to be used under the whitebait regulations, regulations, whitebait the under used be to permitted not is that net

In all areas of New Zealand except the West Coast of the South South the of Coast West the except Zealand New of areas all In No person shall possess whitebait in conjunction with any whitebait whitebait any with conjunction in whitebait possess shall person No

Fishing season Fishing

end of fishing or the end of the day, whichever is earlier. earlier. is whichever day, the of end the or fishing of end

are considered ‘true’ whitebait. ‘true’ considered are

10 m of the net. Fishing gear must be removed from the water at the the at water the from removed be must gear Fishing net. the of 10 m

kōkopu, smelt, bullies and juvenile eels. The first five five first The eels. juvenile and bullies smelt, kōkopu, species. species.

Every person who sets or uses a whitebait net must remain within within remain must net whitebait a uses or sets who person Every

. Please observe the regulations and conserve our our conserve and regulations the observe Please . the South Island South the

inanga, kōaro, banded kōkopu, giant kōkopu, shortjaw shortjaw kōkopu, giant kōkopu, banded kōaro, inanga,

1 No person shall set or use more than one whitebait net at a time. time. a at net whitebait one than more use or set shall person No

here are for the whole of New Zealand except the West Coast of of Coast West the except Zealand New of whole the for are here species you are likely to catch in your whitebait net are are net whitebait your in catch to likely are you species

exceed 6 m in total length total in 6 m exceed •

New Zealand’s whitebait fisheries. The regulations summarised summarised regulations The fisheries. whitebait Zealand’s New of New Zealand’s precious native fish. Some of the the of Some fish. native precious Zealand’s New of

managing for responsible is Conservation of Department The

than one-third of the channel width channel the of one-third than swimming up our streams, are the young of some some of young the are streams, our up swimming

be used in conjunction with another person’s gear to exceed more more exceed to gear person’s another with conjunction in used be •

Whitebait, those tiny, transparent creatures found found creatures transparent tiny, those Whitebait,

a summary a

exceed more than one-third of the water channel width channel water the of one-third than more exceed •

regulations— fishing Whitebait native fish native precious Our No fishing gear shall: gear fishing No

The

Further information whitebaiter’s If you have any further enquiries, please contact your nearest Department of Conservation office, guide Help! http://www.doc.govt.nz/footer-links/contact-us/. to For further information about recreation activities whitebait Whitebait are in decline—we are losing more of them and conservation, visit: www.doc.govt.nz. each year. Mostly, this is due to a lack of clean, healthy rivers and streams for the adult fish. Barriers, such as dams and overhanging culverts, also block migrating Check, Clean, Dry whitebait from reaching what clean streams remain. Stop the spread of didymo Introduced fish, such as the pest fish gambusia and (Didymosphenia geminata) and sports fish such as trout, compete for habitat and prey on other freshwater pests. our native species. Introduced plants clog up the places Didymo is an exotic alga that invades where whitebait live. waterways. To prevent the spread BETWEEN WATERWAYS of freshwater pests such as didymo, Planting and fencing stream edges can lead to better always Check, Clean, Dry all footwear whitebaiting in future years. The adults love bush- (including waders), vehicles, fishing equipment and other covered streams and the young whitebait are attracted to items before entering, and when moving between, waterways. the streams where adults live. Fencing waterways stops For more information and specific cleaning guidelines, go to: stock from trampling the plants and banks where fish www.biosecurity.govt.nz/cleaning take cover, and from crushing whitebait eggs. Dams and or www.doc.govt.nz/stopthespread. overhanging culverts can also be altered or removed to allow young whitebait to reach adult habitat, increasing the number that develop to breeding age. More adult There are risks with whitebaiting. Take reasonable steps to ensure galaxiids means more whitebait in the future. the safety of friends, family and yourself when carrying out recreational activities around waterways.

Published by: Department of Conservation Whakatū / Nelson Office Private Bag 5 Nelson 7042 New Zealand July 2015

Editing and design: Publishing Team, DOC National Office