The whitebait season begins on Wednesday and runs until November 30 in all of New Zealand except the West Coast and Chatham Islands. The West Coast season runs from September 1 to November 14 inclusive. Fishing for the tiny delicacy is only allowed between 5am and 8pm or between 6am and 9pm during daylight saving. Doc biodiversity ranger Rose Hanley-Nickolls urged whitebaiters to play by the rules this year. Ms Hanley-Nickolls said Doc rangers had already seized a net after a person was discovered whitebaiting on the Mataura River this year.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 09, 2018 16:30 UTC