Life on the Coast
A Whitebaiting Story
Is this iconic West Coast pursuit under threat?
Whitebait and the West Coast are nearly synonymous. During the season you can’t drive far on the Coast without coming across road-side stalls, tea rooms, take-away bars and restaurants with a whitebait sandwich or a whitebait patty to sell.
And to partake of the delicacy is almost a rite of passage; a sure sign that you have touched on a true West Coast experience.
Whitebaiting has come under the official spotlight in recent times with talk that the fishery needs to be rested, protected and given a chance to recuperate; the premise being that it is in danger of being irreparably damaged under the current regulations. So the rules and regulations look likely to be changed and these changes will no doubt affect the livelihood of some. The catches on the Coast are legendry and questions as to the sustainability of the catch, are being asked.
Whatever the final outcome of these changes maybe, there will be an impact and we will have to adapt to the new rules.
In the meantime, Coaster’s Weekly brings you some video footage of this iconic West Coast pursuit. It captures the magnitude of this fishing spectacle and lets you see just how important the activity is to the economic and social well-being of the Coast. Our footage is mostly from the 2019 season.