There is a tiny little fish (5mm) that is unique to New Zealand and considered a delicacy. It has been referred to as New Zealand caviar. The locals go out to the mouths of streams in great numbers to catch the little creatures in homemade nets. Fishing does not require a license although there are some restrictions on the size of the fish (don’t know how they can tell). The fish is almost transparent. The delicacy sells in the supermarkets for around $130. NZD per kilo. The whitebait is eaten as is, bones, skins etc. We have eaten it in restaurants cooked into an omelet or breaded and fried.
Whitebaiting is a commercial industry and these nets were permanently located on the banks of the Tutara Stream in the Catlins. We took this photo to show the size of the nets. There were many small shacks along the banks of this stream, about the size of a ice fishing shack. The fishermen & women must spend weekends there waiting for the whitebait to come upriver.
There is a tiny little fish (5mm) that is unique to New Zealand and considered a delicacy. It has been referred to as New Zealand caviar. The locals go out to the mouths of streams in great numbers to catch the little creatures in homemade nets. Fishing does not require a license although there are some restrictions on the size of the fish (don’t know how they can tell). The fish is almost transparent. The delicacy sells in the supermarkets for around $130. NZD per kilo. The whitebait is eaten as is, bones, skins etc. We have eaten it in restaurants cooked into an omelet or breaded and fried.
Whitebaiting is a commercial industry and these nets were permanently located on the banks of the Tutara Stream in the Catlins. We took this photo to show the size of the nets. There were many small shacks along the banks of this stream, about the size of a ice fishing shack. The fishermen & women must spend weekends there waiting for the whitebait to come upriver.
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