Whitebait review must be on fact

Waikanae Estuary Whitebaiters Network has welcomed the Minister of Conservation’s review into whitebait management but cautioned that it must be science-based so any decisions are justified by facts.

Network steering committee chairman Jim Simons says for too long the finger has principally been pointed at whitebaiters for a decline in whitebait numbers rather than the causes.

“There have been sweeping generalisations about whitebaiting as an activity rather than research into how best to restore the failing environments whitebait try to live and breed in”.

“The major culprits are extensive losses of habitat, degraded waterways, sedimentation, and pollution, with Waikanae’s lower river and estuary classic examples.

“A healthy fishery is the key goal for all involved but it must be based on facts.”

“This is best summed up by DoC’s own scientist Dr Jane Goodman who said in a 2018 report that attributing whitebait decline to any particular threat “is very difficult with our current level of understanding and more research is required”.

Mr Simons says it’s ironic that while

DoC has been responsible for managing the whitebait fishery for almost 30 years, it’s “never had the budget to undertake national research and that’s led to a huge void in facts which, over the years, has been filled with ill-considered generalisations”.

“What we need now is a wellconsidered discussion based on identifying the real causes for a decline in whitebait numbers and the practical steps that can be taken to improve the fishery.”

Submissions have been called by the Minister and Waikanae Estuary Whitebaiters Network has responded.