WHITEBAIT WARNING: NIC NAYSMITH SAYS ICONIC NATIVE FISH NEED OUR HELP

As whitebait season gets underway around Aotearoa, freshwater conservationist Nic Naysmith is warning the tiny native fish behind one of New Zealand’s favourite seasonal foods are facing an increasingly uncertain future.

Whitebait is not a single species. The catch can include juveniles from several native freshwater species, with īnanga making up the overwhelming majority of the whitebait catch in most parts of the country.

Naysmith says one of the biggest challenges is the loss and degradation of the streamside habitat īnanga need to reproduce. They spawn among vegetation around the upper reaches of the saltwater influence in rivers and streams, making relatively small areas of riverbank critically important to the survival of the next generation.

The warning has become more urgent after the latest Department of Conservation conservation-status assessment moved īnanga from At Risk–Declining to Threatened–Nationally Vulnerable.

Through the National Īnanga Spawning Programme, Naysmith and the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust are working with communities, iwi, hapū, councils, landowners and whitebaiters to identify spawning sites and protect or restore the vegetation the fish need.

Simple measures such as fencing waterways from stock, restoring streamside plants, controlling pests and protecting known spawning areas can make a significant difference.

The kaupapa also carries a strong message about kaitiakitanga. Whitebait has long been part of the relationship between whānau and freshwater environments, but protecting that tradition means ensuring enough native fish survive to reproduce.

For Naysmith, the challenge is not necessarily about ending whitebaiting — it is about making sure there are still healthy populations for future generations.

As nets return to waterways this season, the question is bigger than what ends up in the frying pan: are we doing enough today to ensure our mokopuna will still know īnanga tomorrow?

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