Let’s not bait our scientists

While it was pouring out of him it probably felt good. Southland Fish & Game member Ken Cochrane, speaking to a room full of middle-aged to elderly whitebaiters about the prospect of new rules, drew appreciative chortles when he let forth a stream of invective about ‘‘chick scientists’’.

Yessir, these women wanted a society of unshaven armpits, where people should have dreadlocks and gather in jandals to sing Kumbaya around each and every whitebait pattie. The sort of commentary you’d expect from someone who has spent a lot of time sitting by a river watching a whole lot of stuff just pass him by . . .

The sexist character of his comments has now been pointed out to him from a range of directions including Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage and his own, clearly mortified, Fish & Game organisation.

Although the scientists involved in the drafting of strategies – still under discussion – to save the imperilled whitebait fishery are fully entitled to take offence at such towering and inaccurate condescension, the stronger bet is that they’d be left a tad fatigued and faintly dispirited. Because these were comments notable less for their sting than their staleness.

Cochrane had reached for a careworn catalogue of cliches lying around since the 1960s and 70s, and unworthy even then. You’d think by now they’d be preserved in amber.

In his own subsequent, limited apology, he insists his comments weren’t intended to be derogatory towards women. So, presumably, those hairy-armpitted hippies shouldn’t take things so personally, when his frustration was actually directed at ‘‘flawed process’’.

Heavy sighs. Two issues of concern arise here.

The first is whether people still think in these terms. If so, they subvert their own potential to be taken seriously in public discourse, even if they might otherwise be capable of making a sensible contribution.

Cochrane and his chucklers emerge not as the voice of practicality raised against the forces of political correctness. More like Grampa Abe Simpson types who for the past decade or two haven’t really kept up.

The second, associated, worry is that this outdated mindset has a thoroughly modern incarnation to revive it – the Trumpian scorn for science that gets in the way of long-established specific wants and pleasures.

It’s a tactic, nowadays, to call heavily on ad hominem attacks, going after scientists if you don’t like what their work is telling you. And they tend not to reply in kind, because their own professional disciplines discourage such things.

The whitebait debate is a significant one. The fishery is in trouble and there’s a large measure of consensus that swift action is needed. Possibilities include shortening the whitebait season, prohibiting fishing from some rivers for a set period, and phasing out fishing equipment including sock nets, trap nets and screens.

The counter argument is that shortening the season will just intensify the activity within that period, and changing the fishing gear rules will make it practically impossible for thousands of whitebaiters to function. These voices contend the most effective non-environmental solutions are to make it an offence to sell whitebait – leaving recreationalists alone and cutting out rapacious money-makers – and adequately resourcing DOC to properly enforce existing regulations. Submissions have been extended until March 16.

Cochrane had reached for a careworn catalogue of cliches lying around since the 1960s and 70s ...