Whitebait season is underway, with hopeful whitebaiters back on Murihiku Southland’s riverbanks.
Environment Southland’s compliance team has now completed monitoring and education visits across the Waikawa, Mataura, Titiroa, Pourakino and Aparima rivers, checking that whitebait stands are safe, well-maintained and meeting consent requirements.
Environment Southland Compliance Manager Donna Ferguson says the visits were about supporting stand owners and protecting the waterways that sustain Southland’s whitebait fishery.
“Whitebaiting is an important Southland tradition, and we want people to have a successful season while ensuring stands remain structurally sound, securely anchored and clearly identified,” she says.
Deputy Harbourmaster Conrad Adams says safety should also remain front of mind around rivers, where conditions can change quickly. “With stands, nets, boats and people sharing the same areas, please look after yourself and others, and show patience and courtesy,” he says.
