Flooding in February wiped out many whitebait huts and stands in the South at the start of the year, so when whitebaiting begins today, many in the South will be playing catch-up, Southland Recreational Whitebaiters Association president Roger McNaughton says.
McNaughton said many people had been hesitant to invest time
in repairing flood damage due to contentious Department of Conservation whitebait management consultation that closed on March 16.
And then, of course, he said, weeks later Covid-19 brought the country to a standstill.
"I think in the last couple of weeks there's been a bit of a panic for people to get their stands and everything in order to start the season," he said.
The 69-year-old, who lives east of Invercargill and whitebaits on Titiroa Creek said he keeps some of his haul for himself, but "we have a lot of friends".
