Mark Story: Taste of whitebait bittersweet

PRECIOUS DELICACY: Native whitebait need as much protection as introduced trout, writes Mark Story. PHOTO FILE

I admit playing poacher and gamekeeper when it comes to whitebaiting.

One struggles to think of any other hunted species where the juvenile is the target prey.

Not to mention the youngsters are caught on the hop, heading off on their OE from the sea to the river. You can almost sense their quest for freedom as the translucent schools gap it up river mouths across the country.

So it pains me a little when, in their adolescent rite of passage, we scoop, egg, season and fry.

I console myself by reflecting on tha fact I'm hapless when it comes to netting the delicacy.

For instance, I spent 80 minutes at Esk River mouth a few weeks back and, nada. Not a thing.

Then, last week at Kairakau Beach, in that magic zone where salt water meets fresh, I netted two fish in return for 40 minutes work.

Seeing as it takes about 20 to make a small fritter, I made an offering to Tangaroa (which I hope he doesn't forget) and freed those two to continue their journey up river.

DoC yesterday warned Bay whitebait fans that the advent of daylight saving has changed the allowable fishing hours.

But the more pertinent question is why, despite said regulations, these native fish are afforded no where near the protection as introduced trout.

What's more puzzling, is that you can't sell trout commercially - but whitebait is sold by the bucket at supermarkets and fishmongers.

Seems unjust.

They demand an exorbitant price, which is what makes their commercial pursuit so lucrative to fishers.

This, alongside habitat destruction, is perhaps the biggest threat to this enduring pastime.