 rowboat bob wrote:Starvation is my guess. Pollution yes, but indirectly. There was a University of Auckland study done a few years ago about microplastics in inshore waters of the Auckland area . It was on TV news . They said that during storm events the amount of microplastic being aerosoled was hazardous to human health. With that level of invisible microplastic in the water , surely the filter feeders are choaking on the stuff. If the filter feeding plankton get wiped out through choaking then the carnivorous zooplankton and small shrimps etc will also die off due to lack of food , as do the sprats , piper and yellowtail . These baitfish have all but disappeared from inshore Auckland waters . Scallops have failed to return , despite their protection for a few seasons . The mussels bed regeneration at Okahu Bay has failed to take hold . The shape of the Hauraki Gulf means that flushing is difficult and invisible micro plastic pollution is likely to build up over time in the Southern Hauraki Gulf and the Waitemata Harbour. I've read scientific reports concluding these effects in contained or semi contained waterways near cities overseas, so it makes sense that the same process is occurring here, with the result being a lack of food for the entire food chain once the filter feeders are diminished. |
| rowboat bob wrote: It would be great if microplastics were not to blame , but I'm struggling to find a more plausible reason for the demise of inshore baitfish. The fishing pressure on them is negligible , yet they are remarkably absent in the inner gulf. A few summers ago at Rakino Is. I was throwing some bread on the water hoping to attract some sprats and piper , none arrived , but undersize snapper came flying up to eat the bread off the surface , right by the boat. I've never seen this before , and to me appeared to be starving . The snapper with mussel shells in their stomachs could have eaten some broken mussel shell not whole mussels with all the flesh. A lot more research needed.
|
Tzer wrote:
It appears this milky flesh issue has run its course as you don't read much about it these days, pjc post is first for long time. Not an issue for us down here off Gisborne, any sub standard fish we see is usually from spawning. I dont believe theres been any definative explanation to the milky issue, oh theres been some research but from some of the results Ive read its still only been conjecture. |
| Kandrew wrote: I fish mainly up Whangaparaoa and down the bottom of the bottom of the firth. Here’s what I’ve seen. I put it down to the fact that a lot of the food around whangaparaoa has gone, I used to go out and catch good sized fish in good numbers, not large numbers but good numbers. Now when I go out, I catch literally 100s of small undersized snapper. Some days the sounder is just red on the screen. I’ve seen this happen since they increased the size limit. Obviously this doesn’t happen every time I go out but the amount of undersized snapper in the gulf is unbelievable. I don’t see the food around like there used to be, the mussel beds have gone, the worm beds down the south side of the peninsula have gone. Down the firth where I fish, there is a lot of food around, mussel farms, wild mussels crabs worms pipis you name it. So the fish I catch there are in much better condition. I see in their guts when I filet them. Down the firth, I fish shallow and catch a good feed. To catch good fish up here you need to go out deep, 40 metres plus. Only my observations, I just might fish the wrong spots up here, but I’ve been fishing whangaparaoa for 40 years. |
| cirrus wrote: Kandrew, you mention that much of the food around the peninsula has gone. Worm ,beds,mussel beds and more. This is significant. Any thoughts ,observations why this has happened,and so quickly. |
| cirrus wrote: Perhaps run off smothering feed beds. Vast housing developments. Red beach,silverdale,orewa,milldale ,mill water etc. More being fast tracked. Infrastructure not coping. Clay hillsides ,red brown soil exposed behind orewa. right now.Much of the residue will end up in gulf. Same for overflowing stormwater,sewerage after rain. Orewa beach and most on whangaparora listed as not safe to swim after rain according to safe swim. Looking at landscape,thoudands of new builds on tiny sections. Has beauty ,and logic been forgotton. Used to fish area in past years. Water clean. Fish abundant. |
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