August 2025 - 239 The Fishing Paper and Hunting News
• Duck Dreams - pg 4 - 5
• Marlborough Bow Hunters - One to watch - pg 4
• What's in your Whitebait bucket - pg 13 - 14
photo Bob McAuli e
Young Jack has an opportunity to hunt a forest block in the back of beyond and he’s rapt. His buddy drops him o at the top of a mountainous face, steep and rocky, and he begins his zig zagging route downhill.
There’s a compound bow in Jack’s hand, there’s handcrafted arrows in his quiver and there’s a breeze in his favour. Better yet there’s a sleeping stag tucked onto a tiny rock shelf down in the tussock and baby pines.
There’s also a problem. Between Jack and the stag there is virtually no cover – just the scattered tussock, rows of knee-high trees and a few lichen-covered rocks. His only hope is one lone manuka.
As carefully as he can, Jack edges ever closer, the spindly tree always between himself and the stag. It’s a mission to keep his footing silent and to keep his mental discipline in check. Self-doubt is creeping in, fraying the edges of his confidence.
Step by careful step he descends. The stag has its back to him, head lolled sideways, legs askew. It appears to be asleep, but Jack knows it will only take one rolling stone, or one swirl of breeze, or maybe even another wary animal nearby to alert it.
At just 20 yards distance the stag, a young eight-pointer, is still relaxed and chews its cud as it admires the view of mountains and stream. So far so good!
Jack draws his bow, all too aware of the technical challenges of a steep downhill shot and a semihidden kill zone. If it flies true, his arrow will penetrate between the stag’s ribs, close to both the shoulder blade and the spine, driving into its vitals.
Trying to calm his racing mind and control his shaking hands, Jack takes a couple of quiet breaths before steadying his sights. He releases the arrow, watching its red and white fletches as it arcs high, too high, and vanishes into the
Lost and Found
never-never beyond. It’s gone.
The startled stag leaps to its feet, eyes bulging. It goes from zero to full revs in .03 of a second, bolting o with a clatter of loose rock before it too vanishes into the never-never.
Gutted, the young man shakes his head in despair. He’s not held low enough and now he has no stag and one of his arrows is forever gone – the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Good arrows are not cheap, and Jack is not wealthy, but he leaves the hill without even attempting to find his. He has no idea where to start, and, besides, it probably busted to smithereens on impact.
Weeks later and I arrive at the
Printer:
Kim Swan
forest block to find the poachers got out of bed earlier than I did this morning and as a result the deer I’m targeting are way out on the back boundary. They’re nervously stamping their hooves, craning their necks and flaring their nostrils in this direction.
The poachers themselves, they take one look at my ute and scarper, literally squealing their wheels on the icy access track as they go. I’ve ruined their day, and they have ruined mine.
I go walkabout, anyway, determined to find game animals, which have not been alerted by previous action. Somewhere there’s gotta be something oblivious to the echo of rifle shots or traces of human scent on the wind. Maybe something warming itself in the new day’s first rays or head-down and bum-up, browsing hungrily on frosted fodder.
Way out back, where the rows of baby pines are barely discernible due to severe animal browse, I ease down o the tops and into the rising breeze. It too is barely discernible, the gentlest of caresses as it climbs, wavering, towards the winter sun. Silence reigns out here, only the distant tinkle of the snow-fed stream can be heard.
Mid-face I spy an out-of-sorts hue. It may have been perfect camo’ in summer and autumn but it’s too gold to blend with the greys of
The Fishing Paper & Hunting News
winter. Intrigued, I sneak closer. It’s a billy goat feeding belly-deep in matagouri and bush vlawyer vines. He has umpteen friends, all of which are equally intent on filling their bellies.
Billy and I eyeball each other. He assesses the couple of rogue hairs on my old-lady-chin and considers them pitiful. In comparison his chin whiskers are a thick crop of long black hairs lovingly slicked with urine. PFFFT, he snorts with scorn.
‘Hell, hath no fury like a woman scorned.’
My chin hairs may be pitiful, and my urine wasted in a septic tank, but I will not be PFFT’d o .
Like Bill, I have a friend too, Tikka 223, and now he’s about to do some talking on my behalf.
The goats’ escape routes entail plenty of shooting alleys, Tikka’s aim is true. The rifle barrel becomes scorching hot as I reload the magazine time after time - shovelling bullets into it urgently before sending them on their way one by one, every shot a humane kill. Afterwards, as I ascertain every goat is deceased and at peace, I note another unusual colour in this naturally dull environment. It’s a glimpse of bright scarlet red. Well, well, well, of all the things to espy in this wild place – a hunting arrow, nestled amongst tussock and rocks, lost by an anonymous archer who-knows-when. It’s wellconstructed, perhaps by my own son, and well worth retrieving.
Marlborough bow hunters are few, and those who frequent this place fewer, so now I have a new hunt on my hands. The hunt for the arrow chucker - his or her personalised combination of broadhead, shaft and coloured fletching a clue that may lead me to them and, within a week, it does.
Arrow lost and arrow found - two hunting stories, two di erent outcomes, one XL high-country hill – sorted and documented now, and all thanks to big, bearded Billy.
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End of Year for Dawnbreakers Fishing Club
Dawnbreakers celebrated the achievements of our club members with our end of year prizegiving. Some excellent fish were caught throughout the year. While competition was tight throughout the season, Dawnbreakers is more than just a competitive fishing club, whether a seasoned fisher who
is always on the water or just starting out, Dawnbreakers caters to all. With social functions, guest speakers who share their extensive knowledge and many a fishy tale to be told, there is something for everyone interested in fishing.
Membership benefits include exclusive member discounts from our generous sponsors whom we greatly appreciate. Special thanks to Hunting & Fishing for their sponsorship of our end of year prizegiving. With the new season just around the corner, starting October 1st, we invite you to join us for the 2025/2026 season.
The
Committee Dawnbreakers Fishing Club.
Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki have applied for a mātaitai reserve o shore of Puketeraki, East Otago.
A local community meeting will be held at the Puketeraki Marae at 520 Apes Road, Karitane at 7:00pm on Thursday 21 August 2025, to discuss the application
The proposed area includes approximately 47.5 sq km of South Island fisheries waters enclosed by a line drawn between Cornish Head (Ohineamio) and Purehurehu Point (west of Heyward Point) and the seaward boundary of the East
Otago Taiāpure-Local Fishery. The southern boundary of the proposed area between Potato Point and Purehurehu Point is the mean highwater mark.
Fisheries New Zealand invites submissions from the local community on the application. A copy of the application, a map of the proposed area, and information on making a submission are available on the Ministry for Primary Industries website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/ consultations
Submissions can be made until 5pm on Thursday 4 September
2025. A further consultation seeking submissions from anyone who fishes or owns quota in the area of the proposed mātaitai reserve will take place following the conclusion of the local community consultation.
A mātaitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground which tangata whenua have a special relationship with. Mātaitai reserves are limited to fisheries waters and do not include any land area. Mātaitai reserves do not change any existing arrangements for access to private land.
Mātaitai reserves do not change
the recreational fishing rules. However, the Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki for a mātaitai reserve may propose changes to the rules at a later date. These are called mātaitai reserve bylaws. Any proposed bylaws will be consulted on separately with the public and relevant stakeholders. They need to be approved by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries. Commercial fishing is generally banned in a mātaitai reserve; however the applicants have proposed conditions to allow some commercial fishing activities to continue.
Good Sort Award Crystal
Ladies Snapper
Duck dreams are made of this
With a cold southerly wind that had been blowing for a few days, these were near-perfect duckhunting conditions and what I dream of as a duck hunter.
I had worked on getting out on a Sunday evening for a duck hunt. I decided on visiting my sister’s father-in-law’s place I last hunted 15 years ago, where I had one of my best solo duck hunts ever. The weather conditions were almost identical too. I was brimming with excitement about another successful hunt there.
Just behind their house is a drain that can hold a few ducks and a lot of pukekos, which cause havoc with their chickens. The hunt started by trying to jump shoot this drain. I poked my head around the shelter belt. There were about 30 mallards and a few dozen pukekos on the water and the bank.
There are a few houses reasonably close to this creek, and the available shooting lanes are limited. I tried to sneak in against the shelter belt, but they were cagey and knew I was up to something. Most of the ducks got up just out of range and in line with
the houses, but I was able to get one duck on the bank under the trees.
Walking my way back, a pukeko flushed out of the trees behind me and I was able to spin around and get that bird quickly.
With all those ducks sitting on the drain, what should I do? The ducks had spread out around the area. The last time I set up with the Mojo in the middle of the paddocks, it was at least a few 100 metres from the drain and any other houses. This makes for easier and stress-free shooting, without worrying where I can shoot.
In the neighbour’s paddocks beside where I can hunt, there is a creek that runs through them and can have ducks around them. Where the drain is located, there is a shelter belt that runs on the northern side.
As a result, shooting opportunities are limited due to the position of this shelter belt and the houses. But would all those ducks want to head back to the drain?
I decided to lug my gear out into the paddock. I sat in front of the burn pile that was set up about 20 metres from the boundary with the decoys
and Mojo about 15 metres across and out into the middle of the paddock.
It wasn’t long until a few ducks started to move around the area, with a few looking back at the drain and at the neighbours.
At the July Club Shoot I had the pleasure to mentor 14 year old Luca who has only just begun his bow shooting journey. Luca’s folks dropped him o and Libby and I took him for some practice shots to see how he’d go. Despite only having a bare bow, Luca was a natural and
could shoot well.
Placed into one of many small groups up at our Waihopai Course, the young fella was in just the right situation to learn without too much competitive pressure.
O we went for the shooting round – first target for our group
Gareth Faulkner
was a billy goat on a rock in the riverbed – a tricky and technical target, but Luca was keen to have a crack. His arrow sailed right over the top of the target and into the Waihopai river. All we could do was watch it float by in the still-swollen rapids. It was a bit of a cruel blow, but we carried on.
Second target, same result – over the top – but, thankfully, this time we managed to find and retrieve the arrow. With heaps of support and guidance we carried on. The third target was a wee rabbit and Luca nailed it!
From then on, the young fella was away – finishing with a big smile and a new group of mates. He’d had an awesome day and was now hooked on bow shooting. I must say that we were pretty rapt too, and we reckon this young fella is one to watch for the future.
The Fishing Paper & Hunting News is proud to support this new monthly column from the Marlborough BowHunters and hopes that you will enjoy following the journey of this group of bowhunting enthusiasts
One to Watch Ben Dick
Duck dreams are made of this cont
I debated whether to move quickly or stay put. I stayed since I had some good cover and/ the wind to my back.
Being aggressive on the caller and with the intermittent movement of the Mojo, I was able to bring the ducks over for a look from the creek. The first pair came through, and I winged the drake. Ace was quickly onto where it fell and chased it down in the long grass without issue.
I couldn’t quite get one of the wings of the Mojo on right, and that quickly worked itself loose. Due to the cold conditions, the Mojo remote battery was not working reliably. I didn’t want to risk not being able to get it working again, so it ran with only one wing. It didn’t seem to worry the ducks.
These conditions, with the fact the ducks didn’t appear to have had much hunting pressure in the paddocks, allowed the ducks to work well to the calling and the flashes of the Mojo in the low light. There were plenty of ducks flying around the area, and they were mostly interested in the drain and the paddock. But I was able to use my calling to bring them over for a look at the decoys.
I started to focus on the drakes, and they could not resist the duck call. This was not my most impressive shooting as most of the ducks were within 20 metres. I am over-choked for this distance of shooting with a tight pattern. Downsizing the pellets can help spread the pattern, and I just picked up a slab of 4’s down from 3’s to test. Once I started missing, I was focused on making
the shot rather than just shooting the duck. Ace was kept busy with the wingers, the longest being about 200 metres away by the time he caught up with it.
A passing duck at 40 metres flew across, looking to go to the neighbours. I just stood up and swung through with a beautiful kill, and that thud that comes with a stone-dead bird hitting the ground.
To finish the evening, a snapshot was taken right at dark as a pair looked to come into the Mojo. Once Ace found this duck in the dark, it was the only hen shot for the night and the last as it got too dark to see. What a great hunt, even though I was not quite on spot ‘X’ where the ducks wanted to be. That didn’t stop me from being able to pick up some ducks.
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The new Pulsar Axion XQ19 Compact.
Optically Speaking August 2025 Ants Corke
An old friend returns in fancy new clothing.
The new Pulsar Axion XQ19 Compact is the latest addition to the Pulsar thermal imaging range. Launched at the end of last month, it is the lowest price thermal monocular in the Pulsar range but has a proven specification that was popularised by one of its illustrious predecessors, the highly popular Pulsar Quantum XQ19, that was launched in 2015.
The Pulsar’s XQ19 designation means that the sensor has a resolution of 384x288 / 17µm and an objective lens with a 19mm focal length. This combination produces a very wide field-of-view that is ideal for walking and spotting animals at night and for stalking in bush and forestry. I spent many hours walking with a Quantum XQ19 and used one from a helicopter, so can vouch for its e ectiveness.
2015; Feral pig eradication on Farewell Spit
I used a Quantum XQ19 from a helicopter during a DOC pig eradication operation on Farewell Spit. Its ability to see through foliage proved invaluable for spotting feral pigs that were hiding in dense thicket, enabling me to direct the pilot to flush the pigs into open clearings so that they could be shot. It was a real game change because most of the pigs would have remained invisible without the Quantum.
This same Pulsar Quantum XQ19 is now ten years old and carries the scars of heavy use but still works as well as new. Pulsar’s reputation for quality and product longevity is well proven.
The Axion XQ19 Compact
The new Pulsar Axion XQ19 Compact is the latest thermal o ering by Pulsar, providing the same field-of-view as the original Quantum XQ19, but now with higher specifications, video recording and streaming, and at a considerably lower price.
Back in 2015, Pulsar was a relatively small manufacturer
who outsourced many product components but have since massively expanded their manufacturing capability with new factories in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Most components are now made inhouse which enables Pulsar to o er their products at a much better price.
The original Pulsar Quantum XQ19 had retailed for $4299.00, while the new Axion XQ19 Compact retails for $1899.00.
The new Axion is packed with performance and features that simply leaves the old Quantum XQ19 in its wake. It is also considerably smaller and lighter. All four Axion Compact models have the same operational features, magnesium alloy body and control layout. The only di erences between each model are either lens or sensor. The XQ19 and XQ30 models feature a Lynred PICO384, whilst the XG30 and XG35 models feature a Lynred ATTO640/12µ sensor.
What it’s good for
The new Pulsar Axion XQ19 Compact excels at closer distances, due to its very wide field-of-view that enables rapid spotting of animals without the need to scan back and forth. It is also suitable for walking at night, marine navigation and mist, rain and fog penetration. Is the smallest of the Axion models but still boasts a human detection range of over 700m which is more than enough for general purpose use.
What it’s not good for Its wide field-of-view means that the pixels in its sensor are spread out over a wider distance, therefore reducing spatial resolution. This is not a problem at closer distances, say up to a few hundred metres, but if longer distances or situations where higher resolution is required, the Pulsar Axion XG30 and XG35 are better options, though cost more.
Pulsar describe the Axion XQ19 Compact as an entry level thermal due to its low price and resolution. However, if most of your hunting is in bush, forest and farmland, it may be all that you need, as well as providing you with many years of reliable service.
The Axion XQ19 Compact, though ultra compact, has many of advanced features as all current Pulsar models, including streaming, recording and firmware updates.
The new Pulsar Axion XQ19 Compact is considerably smaller and lighter than it predecessor, the Pulsar Quantum XQ19.
My well used Pulsar Quantum XQ19 is now 10 years old, but works as well as new.
The Pulsar Oryx LRF XG35 sets a new standard in high performance, compact thermal imaging.
Outstanding features include:
• Accurate 1500m laser rangefinder
• Lynred ATTO640 sensor (MIL-STD 883/810)
• Image stabilisation
• Fast 35mm germanium objective lens
• Precision focus wheel for single-handed use
• Fully protected quick-change battery pack
• Internal back-up battery
• Durable IP67 fully waterproof Mg-alloy body.
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Andy reels in a Whopper
The annual Snapper Cup is a highlight of the Dawnbreakers Fishing Club calendar.
As has been the case for most of the summer, the sea conditions didn’t match the forecast on the Saturday. This didn’t stop us heading to one of our favourite spots, albeit one closer in to the Boulder Bank.
After setting up a whole pilchard on the stray line, and a slow jig o the back of the boat, we settled in to fish. We caught some good sized gurnard, a kahawai and a mackerel, but no sign of any snapper. We were discussing moving to another spot, when the stray line started whining. Andy grabbed it first, and just as well,
as something big was taking line. The rest of us pulled up our lines, while Andy battled to gain ground. After a few minutes, the fight went out of the fish and it surfaced. To our delight it was the biggest snapper we had ever seen! Jasper manned the net, and we got it safely on board.
Andy’s previous PB snapper had come in at 19lb, just short of the elusive 20lb mark. This snapper weighed a hefty 22lb, and measured 83.5cm.
A new personal best for Andy, who went on to take the second place for biggest snapper in the Snapper Cup. What a memorable day out!
Carol Brennan
Cold Start - Hot Shooting at Cable Bay
It started bitterly cold on June 8 at the Cable Bay Club, but it didn’t stop people from showing up. We had a great turnout, with shooters coming in from Marlborough, Motueka, and even John making the drive up from Reefton to join us.
A big thanks to Charles for his help the day before setting up the six stages, which led to a fun and slightly challenging day. I copped a bit of flak for one stage - three steel plates swinging fast, with limited time to see and hit them. The more names I get called, the better I know the stage was, at least from my point of view!
The numbers were higher than usual, and it was great to see a few faces we haven’t seen in a while. That’s one of the best parts about pistol shooting - no matter the style or your age, there’s always a place for you. Sure, we might slow down a bit, but the camaraderie and fun make up for any drop in competitive edge.
The stages required a fair bit of movement. Forward and backward across the ranges, and a lot of rounds were sent downrange. With that level of dynamic shooting, safety is always our top priority. Both competitors and range o cers keep a close eye on gun
handling, especially with the di erent shooting angles and movement involved. Just one mistake can end your match, whether it’s in the first 10 seconds or the last.
Break a rule, and you’re out, with your scores wiped. Harsh, but necessary to keep everyone safe.
Now, while movies make onehanded shooting look cool, it’s not how you shoot fast or accurately in real life. That said, we do shoot one-handed sometimes, usually not by choice, but because the course designer forces us to. For example, I used a half-full Coke bottle as a prop. The sloshing liquid made it tricky to use for support, adding another layer of challenge to think through and work around. We were shooting in IPSC style, where speed plays a big role. You want to go as fast as you can, but not so fast your accuracy su ers. It’s a fine line, and it’s far too easy to step over it and watch things go downhill quickly.
Thanks again to everyone who came out, either to compete or just to watch. You all helped make it a great day.
PISTOL SHOOTING
Brian Bishop
The Grey River Bar Coastlines
Over the years the Grey river bar has been mentioned from time to time in The Fishing Paper, the bar is notorious and widely known as the most dangerous in New Zealand. It is said to have had the most shipwrecks of any place around our country. Mind you Greymouth also has some other bars that can be a bit dangerous. There are a lot less these days, but in earlier times you’d find one on every corner, plus some halfway down the block for good measure. A bunch of them stood on what older Greymouthians called “the front,” an aptly named location because it was the waterfront and back in the day, the centre of most of the commercial activity for the town and the district.
The Brian Boru, the Royal, the Albion, Masonic, think of a pub name and you’d likely find it along the front. Railways had the long rakes of Q wagons bringing coal to the waiting ships, there was timber from the mills to be loaded out and all this meant a lot of manpower. Naturally this meant opportunities
for those desirous of purveying beverages of both a spirituous and foaming nature. The town (and the pubs) operated at all hours of the day and night, as shifts at mines, mills and the railways came and went. This gave rise to some legendary tales of the relationship between publicans, their patrons and the constabulary, all preceeded by the one long ring, as a uniformed finger pressed the button at the door to announce their presence.
Originally the Grey river bar would have changed with flood activity, a bit like the way a hose under pressure moves back and forth if you let it out of your hands. This has been observed over time at the Taramakau river a little further south of Greymouth. Being unmodified or constricted, the mouth has moved back and forth considerably since the 1970s when we first observed it while casting a line for sea runners. In the 1930s work began to build structures to protect the Grey harbour entrance and give a defined path for vessels entering and leaving port. Rock was taken
from the quarry about a kilometre or so upstream and moved via a purpose built rail line, to be tipped in at the harbour entrance, thus building up a large seawall, augmented with huge blocks of concrete. Some of the infrastructure of the construction is still visible out on the breakwater. The location holds a fascination for both visitors and locals and on any given day, people drive out and park to watch the water and in rough conditons gaze in awe at the waves. Those connected with the fishing boats often head out there when its getting gnarly, to observe family members and friends negotiating the bar as they return to port. It is no place for the inexperienced and it can provide quite the challenge for the plethora of visiting boats that come in for the winter tuna season, especially when there is no Coastguard service. To underline this, there is a large memorial rock at the tiphead, which provides a sobering reminder of the ocean’s realities through it’s attached plaques ,showing the names of men and boats that
Ivan Wilson
have been lost in the area. The breakwater structure also provides a decent point break for the surfers who inhabit the tiphead. You’ll often see a pod of endangered Hectors Dolphin moving around the river mouth.
The Grey bar also holds a longstanding fascination for another group of locals, as it provides a seeming never ending variety of conditions for photography. Apart from those who take cameras out there on a casual basis, there are 3 skilled shutterbugs who are there regularly and whose work is a wonderful record of the fishing boats that traverse the bar and the stunning environment.
A final note, if at some stage you want to put to sea via the Grey river bar, be certain you have the experience, the knowledge, safety gear and the company of another boat - don’t go it alone.
Bob McAuli e is a free lance photographer known for his recording of The Coast’s beautiful places (and there are plenty) along with his vast collection of fishing boats crossing the bar. He also captures wonderful wildlfe images, in fact anything that takes his fancy will be very well recorded. Bob was formerly a social worker and earlier, a nurse.
The accompanying photographs bear testament to his care and skills.
Ann Knipe is another regular at the Grey River bar and she came to photography after a long and full- on career in nursing.
An empathy with patients has extended into an understanding of her surroundings and she brings that skill to her captures at the Grey bar. The 19th
November 2010 is a significant date for the Grey District and Ann - Pike River. She and her husband were looking at DSLR camera’s at Network Photo’s in Greymouth mid afternoon, when they heard the sounds of sirens rushing up the Grey Valley. Its a date that will remain with her for the rest of her life. She combined her passion for both Nursing and Photography until October 2022, when she hung up
her Medals after 53 years in the profession.
Moe Bowes, along with Bob, Ann and others, is another keen recorder of activities on the everchanging bar.
I hope you enjoy their images, that go some way towards demonstrating the moods of this Greymouth harbour feature.
Want to know what’s in your whitebait bucket?
DOC is hoping you’ll share the DNA in your whitebait bucket. It’s fairly easy, you’ll find out more about the fish in your favourite whitebaiting river, and it could provide knowledge to help to make the whitebait fishery more sustainable.
Whitebait are the young of six di erent native fish species returning to freshwater from time spent out at sea. During the whitebait season, īnanga are the most common fish caught, making up about 85% of the total. Kōaro and banded kōkopu are likely to be 5-10% of the catch with giant and shortjaw kōkopu, less than 1%. This species mix varies around the country and at di erent times before, during and after the regulated whitebait fishing season (1 September to 30 October).
Inanga are the easiest whitebait species to identify with their long slender shape, smaller pectoral fins, just behind their head and
the galaxiid species (found only in New Zealand and named galaxias because their skin looks like a galaxy of stars).
DOC Senior Freshwater Science Advisor Dave West says we need to increase our knowledge about how the composition of whitebait catches change at di erent parts of the whitebaiting season.
distinctive black mouths. Banded kōkopu and koāro are climbers, trying to escape whitebaiter buckets. In the wild, these fish can scale near-vertical waterfalls using broad fins that have a grippy texture underneath.
Giant and shortjaw kōkopu are more di cult to tell apart. These are the rarest of
“Finding out which rivers are home to the rarer species means we can consider ways to help them survive, for example, by locating and managing upstream populations of adults and letting whitebaiters know which parts of the season to avoid fishing.”
Analysing environmental DNA (eDNA) is a very e ective way of understanding what is or has been in the water. eDNA is genetic material that is shed by organisms, such as whitebait, as they move in, through and around their environment.
In 2024 DOC successfully trialled sampling for whitebait eDNA in the Bay of Plenty and Northland.
Gametes andlarvae
andfeathers
This year, DOC will expand this research into North and South Island rivers. Catch water samples will likely be taken once in August before the whitebaiting season starts, then every two weeks. A final sample will be taken in November after the season has closed.
Up to five rivers known to have good adult shortjaw or giant kōkopu populations will be sampled. Potential locations include the Waikato and Taranaki, Aorere Golden Bay and the West Coast.
“We are keen to get whitebaiters to help with this important research,” David says.
We’ll provide you with eDNA sampling kit syringes to sample the water in your whitebait catch bucket. The local DOC o ce will send the preserved eDNA samples to Wilderlab in Wellington for
analysis. Only then will we know for sure which whitebait species might have been in your bucket. We hope you’ll find the results interesting too.” Research results will be published on the DOC website ahead of the 2026 season.
If you plan to fish in the Waikato, Taranaki, Golden Bay or on the West Coast during the 2025 whitebait season and are interested in finding out what’s in your bucket, please contact whitebait@doc.govt.nz.
DOC Ranger samples Gillows Dam, Westport for eDNA. DOC / S. Harris
DOC Ranger checking out what’s in their whitebait catch bucket. DOC
Whitebait trying to climb their way out of the bucket. DOC / N. Boddy
Fishers who took undersize or too much pāua, kina and mussels have been dealt thousands of dollars of fines over the past two months.
“People who choose to ignore the fishing rules need to know there will be consequences. Our job is to protect fishing resources so that everyone can enjoy the opportunity to put fresh kaimoana on the dinner the table,” says Fisheries New Zealand’s Director of Fisheries Compliance, Steve Ham.
A 59-year-old Gisborne man was ordered to do 40 hours’ community work by the Gisborne District Court for being in possession of 27 pāua. All pāua were undersize. The man was stopped in December last year by Honorary Fishery O cers who inspected his catch. The daily legal limit is five pāua per person in this area, with a minimum size of 125mm.
A 57-year-old Southland man was fined $1000 in the Invercargill
District Court for being in possession of 266 kina. The daily limit per person in the area is 50. The man had his catch inspected at the boat ramp by Fishery O cers on Foreshore Road in Blu in October last year.
A 50-year-old Wellington man was sentenced to three months’ community detention in the Wellington District Court for taking 142 pāua, of which 140 were undersize. The man was stopped by Fishery O cers in March last year at Tarakena Bay and had his vehicle inspected. The daily limit per person in the area is five pāua, with a minimum size of 125mm.
“If you’re unsure of the fishing rules in the area you plan to fish, get the most up-to-date fishing rules by downloading the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app. It will also work if you’re fishing in an area with limited mobile coverage,” says Mr Ham.
Fishery o cers nab pair with more than 1,800 pāua
Fishery o cers based in Wellington have found and confiscated one of the biggest hauls of illegally harvested pāua in recent times, says Fisheries New Zealand regional manager Phil Tasker.
“While inspecting a vessel shortly after it landed at Titahi Bay, fishery o cers discovered 1,863 pāua, which had already been shucked. This is a huge haul of pāua, and the 2 men in possession of the shellfish are likely to face charges under the Fisheries Act,” says Mr Tasker.
“There is a maximum daily limit of 5 pāua per fisher in this area, which gives some context to the scale of this o ending, and the potential damage it could do to the pāua population.
“O ending on this scale is incredibly disappointing to see. This fishery is a shared resource,
Fisheries New Zealand encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24) For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@ mpi.govt.nz
and the rules are there to protect its sustainability for everyone. Our message for those who think they can steal this shared resource is that we will pursue o ending and there will be consequences.”
“Most fishers go out there wanting to do the right thing and follow the rules. The best way to stay on top of the rules for the area you’re fishing or gathering shellfish in is to download the free NZ Fishing Rules mobile app,” says Mr Tasker.
The estimated retail value of the pāua is approximately $25,000. The case is still under investigation.
