Threats as whitebaiters vie for best river spots

A few fishermen have sites they register and pay for but for most it's a free-for-all. Photo / Alan Gibson

It's always been a sought-after delicacy, but the insatiable appetite for whitebait is now leading to warfare on the riverbanks.

Police and the Department of Conservation are fielding reports of threats and intimidation on the West Coast as whitebaiters vie for the best fishing spots.

The region is widely considered to have the best whitebait in the country and lures fishermen from far afield.

Authorities have warned they will not tolerate such behaviour, and will prosecute if necessary.

Sergeant Russell Glue, of the Hokitika police, said people had complained of other whitebaiters pushing them from their fishing spots on the Hokitika River, and he was convinced it was happening on other rivers too.

There had been no reports of violence as yet, but police were concerned it could continue to escalate if unchecked.

A lean run for whitebait might have intensified the competition for the delicacy, Mr Glue said.

Tougher economic times seemed to have encouraged more people to go fishing to try to make some money.

He was unsure if people visiting the Coast were being picked on by locals.

"There's a lot of people around that aren't locals, but they're entitled to have a go as well as everybody else. They're all as bad as each other, to be honest."

Disputes over whitebait on the West Coast are nothing new.

In 2003, the Grey District Council considered regulations after disputes over positions on the Grey River led to alleged threats of retaliation from Christchurch gang members.

Angela Anderson, of the West Coast Whitebaiters Association, said the group was "seriously concerned" about the aggression and blatant rule-breaking and had taken its concerns to the Government.

While a limited number of fishermen had structures on sites they registered and paid for, others were trying to claim fishing spots they had no right to.

"They are claiming that site, and the next morning someone else will be on that site, and that's where the fighting and the arguments are starting. It's first in, first served."

Mrs Anderson said she had heard of a group from Australia who had travelled to the Coast just to try their hand at catching the premier whitebait the region offered.

The whitebaiting season on the West Coast ends on November 14, and for the rest of the country on November 30.