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Whitebait to be farmed

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=110666
Printed Date: 07 Jun 2026 at 5:29pm


Topic: Whitebait to be farmed
Posted By: Uncle
Subject: Whitebait to be farmed
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2015 at 11:36am

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/69339042/premium-whitebait-company-to-farm-whitebait" rel="nofollow - http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/69339042/premium-whitebait-company-to-farm-whitebait





Replies:
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2015 at 11:46am
it was on newstalk this morning and concern from some were it would lower the price and longer be a delicacy.

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Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56


Posted By: Kevin.S
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2015 at 11:55am
Sounds good, if they can make it work.  Farming it instead of removing it from the wild can only be good for the wild stocks. 


Posted By: JB
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2015 at 12:17pm
Originally posted by Kevin.S Kevin.S wrote:


Sounds good, if they can make it work.ย  Farming it instead of removing it from the wild can only be good for the wild stocks.ย 

Yeah I thought the same as well. Provided they get it right maybe the could also help reseed areas as well๐Ÿ‘


Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2015 at 12:39pm
found it,started back in 2012

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/features/7452726/Whitebait-breeding-programme-success" rel="nofollow - http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/features/7452726/Whitebait-breeding-programme-success


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Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56


Posted By: nathchef
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 9:07am
I look forward to white bait season with utter dread.every bloody season I turn out thousands of fritters for the punters at work. It's a horrible time to be a chef. Now your telling me I have to deal with it all year round?!! ๐Ÿ˜งlol


Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 9:17am
I can see where this is heading!!!..... Thought it was against the law to farm native species?


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https://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz


Posted By: southernwanderer
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 10:39am
If there's a dollar in it, the law can be changed, if you rub enough backs and grease enough palms, or have to placate the locals! Trout farming is illegal but that's about happen!


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 1:14pm
In there Report- Whitebait stocks steadily reclining, there habitat being polluted and destroyed. Utter Rubbish! Maybe north of Bombays. But here in Naki record catches last season for most whitebaiters that keep there yearly diaries. Especially on the more reconized rivers the Mokau and Awakino. Many people i know over 100 kgs for season. And on pollution Niwa works with local council and have planting programs,fence off breeding areas where stock have access. Rat and mice erradication. Was once thought whitebait came back up same river there eggs were washed out to hatch at sea. A few years back down here niwa caught and died a whole lot from mokau mouth set them free a k up river. A few days later alot where caught up rivers miles from Mokau. They now now the Whitebait do go out to sea again on outgoing tides, and have another go up a different river. I think farming them a  waste of time and money, as the returns to make it viable would never be there. Has been tried in Raglan harbour i think.Was a program few years back on tv, the Guy doing it packed it in after a few years.


Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 2:20pm
That is interesting that they run into a river, then go back out to try another one. Wierd!
Even weirder would be catching some dyed whitebait! Orangebait anyone? ๐Ÿ˜Š

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It is only my overwhelming natural humility that mars my perfection.

Captain Asparagus, Superhero, Adventurer.


Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 2:39pm
Difficult to fillet

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Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 3:05pm
Originally posted by Capt Asparagus Capt Asparagus wrote:

That is interesting that they run into a river, then go back out to try another one. Wierd!
Even weirder would be catching some dyed whitebait! Orangebait anyone? ๐Ÿ˜Š
Captain, When it really pisses down and rivers get a bit flooded bit brown its called the fresh during whitebait season. the little buggers sense the fresh water out at sea and make there move for a river. If they don't get a fair way up to safety on incoming tide because of the flooded river and strong current they go back out again, and have another try maybe up another river. the time they died them were flurescent green and blue.


Posted By: Davefish
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 4:52pm
two main reasons against trout farming i can think of: 1. chance of getting a hell disease that then gets into wild populations. 2. if trout can be bought and sold then the poaching fraternity just got a pay rise.

whitebait farmed? maybe the disease concern applies.
it's not until resources within striking distance of akl get wiped out that there's any meaningful action over habitat protection and/or catch restrictions. funny that.
my parents used to cook us 'mock whitebait fritters' using grated potato. kind of a glorious name for a hash brown but that was my intro to whitebait as a northerner!


Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 5:16pm
my parents used to cook us 'mock whitebait fritters' using grated potato. kind of a glorious name for a hash brown but that was my intro to whitebait as a northerner!

Then there was the tripe white bait fritters... Tripe cut into white bait size slivers.
marking the eyes with the felt tip pen was a bit of a mission thuWink


Posted By: bazza
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 5:43pm
Originally posted by Davefish Davefish wrote:

two main reasons against trout farming i can think of: 1. chance of getting a hell disease that then gets into wild populations. 2. if trout can be bought and sold then the poaching fraternity just got a pay rise.

 
 
Whitebait are the only seafood I am aware of that amateur fisho's can legally sell & pretty sure there is no limit to the amount you can take providing it is in season & no licence is required to catch or sell.
 
However there are certain regulations regards the allowable methods to catch them but no min size, as if you could imagine having to sort thru a few thousand whitebait in order to individually measure them.
 
Will be curious to find out what they taste like but if they are bred in relatively static water rather than instinctively running kms up rivers then am inclined to think they will tend to taste more like the Chinese product sold in supermarkets that I am told are harvested from lakes & do not have the same taste as their wild counterparts.
 
Then again I understand that even in NZ there are over a dozen varieties of whitebait of which it is generally recognised those called "Number ones" are in fact largely considered to be the number one. 


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When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!


Posted By: Snappa Geoff
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 6:17pm
Originally posted by bazza bazza wrote:

Originally posted by Davefish Davefish wrote:

two main reasons against trout farming i can think of: 1. chance of getting a hell disease that then gets into wild populations. 2. if trout can be bought and sold then the poaching fraternity just got a pay rise.

 
Yep Bazza anyone catching can sell there catch or even set up a sign outside there batch-home and sell to passers bye. Tax was introduced mainly to businesses buying and reselling for profit. But it is very hard to police, so most of it is still cash. I might add when the bait run you can make alot of money quickly if your on the river when the bait are there. Most areas have different rules depending on size of rivers and being in North or South Island. Also when you start catching the Gutties or Enunga as they are called in with the fresh clear ones, not to hard to sort through as they stick out like Dogs Balls! But when theres more enunga's than bait easier to tip e'm back in river. Thats when its a pain......Cheers.
 
Whitebait are the only seafood I am aware of that amateur fisho's can legally sell & pretty sure there is no limit to the amount you can take providing it is in season & no licence is required to catch or sell.
 
However there are certain regulations regards the allowable methods to catch them but no min size, as if you could imagine having to sort thru a few thousand whitebait in order to individually measure them.
 
Will be curious to find out what they taste like but if they are bred in relatively static water rather than instinctively running kms up rivers then am inclined to think they will tend to taste more like the Chinese product sold in supermarkets that I am told are harvested from lakes & do not have the same taste as their wild counterparts.
 
Then again I understand that even in NZ there are over a dozen varieties of whitebait of which it is generally recognised those called "Number ones" are in fact largely considered to be the number one. 


Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 6:48pm
South islannd white tend to bigger I have heard.but still cannot beat a feed at mokau, heading south last shop on left

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Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56


Posted By: Tagit
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 7:17pm
Wasn't sure if this was for real or not initially, but they have job adds out for more filleters so it must be true.


Posted By: bazza
Date Posted: 15 Jun 2015 at 8:20pm
Best ask Vinnie if it is anything to do with whitebait. as he probably the foremost authority here on the forum hence his username of "Baitcatcher"
 
Likewise when it comes to cooking them as anyone at the Fishnet xmas party a few years back that tried
his curried whitebait fritters will attest to.
 
Curried whitebait you may well ask ...... well yeah I was totally sceptical as well until I tried one then realised not all curries need to be overpowering & in this instance the mild flavous were ultra complementary.


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When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!


Posted By: Harmul
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2015 at 8:10am
Originally posted by Snappa Geoff Snappa Geoff wrote:

In there Report- Whitebait stocks steadily reclining, there habitat being polluted and destroyed. Utter Rubbish! Maybe north of Bombays. But here in Naki record catches last season for most whitebaiters that keep there yearly diaries. Especially on the more reconized rivers the Mokau and Awakino. Many people i know over 100 kgs for season. And on pollution Niwa works with local council and have planting programs,fence off breeding areas where stock have access. Rat and mice erradication. Was once thought whitebait came back up same river there eggs were washed out to hatch at sea. A few years back down here niwa caught and died a whole lot from mokau mouth set them free a k up river. A few days later alot where caught up rivers miles from Mokau. They now now the Whitebait do go out to sea again on outgoing tides, and have another go up a different river. I think farming them a  waste of time and money, as the returns to make it viable would never be there. Has been tried in Raglan harbour i think.Was a program few years back on tv, the Guy doing it packed it in after a few years.
 
 
Record season up here North of the StupidCity last year as well. All it did was turn the greedy greedier. They couldn't get it thru their skulls the more they let thru, the more that would have a chance to breed in following years. Sadly all it did was bring out the ****ers that walk amongst us.


Posted By: Davefish
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2015 at 10:09am
SHHHHH!


Posted By: miktaras
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2015 at 6:14am
Originally posted by Harmul Harmul wrote:

Originally posted by Snappa Geoff Snappa Geoff wrote:

In there Report- Whitebait stocks steadily reclining, there habitat being polluted and destroyed. Utter Rubbish! Maybe north of Bombays. But here in Naki record catches last season for most whitebaiters that keep there yearly diaries. Especially on the more reconized rivers the Mokau and Awakino. Many people i know over 100 kgs for season. And on pollution Niwa works with local council and have planting programs,fence off breeding areas where stock have access. Rat and mice erradication. Was once thought whitebait came back up same river there eggs were washed out to hatch at sea. A few years back down here niwa caught and died a whole lot from mokau mouth set them free a k up river. A few days later alot where caught up rivers miles from Mokau. They now now the Whitebait do go out to sea again on outgoing tides, and have another go up a different river. I think farming them a  waste of time and money, as the returns to make it viable would never be there. Has been tried in Raglan harbour i think.Was a program few years back on tv, the Guy doing it packed it in after a few years.
 
 
Record season up here North of the StupidCity last year as well. All it did was turn the greedy greedier. They couldn't get it thru their skulls the more they let thru, the more that would have a chance to breed in following years. Sadly all it did was bring out the ****ers that walk amongst us.
 
Greed is sadly part of human nature.  I know jack about whitebait but what you say sounds about right.



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