A surge in the number of illegal whitebaiting incidents during the 2010 season has resulted in charges being laid against 10 people for allegedly breaching fishing regulations on South Westland rivers.
Department of Conservation staff covering the South Westland Weheka area issued 57 infringement notices to whitebaiters last season - a 35% increase from 2009.
Doc South Westland community relations spokeswoman Tina Pizzato said 10 whitebaiters had been issued with summons to appear in court for alleged breaches of the Whitebait Fishing (West Coast) Regulations.
Offenders can be fined for a breach of the regulations and have their whitebaiting nets and gear confiscated under statutory powers.
Some of the whitebaiters who will appear in court were charged because of a repeated breach of fishing regulations, or the "offence was serious enough to prosecute them for a first offence", Ms Pizzato said.
Of the 57 fishing regulation breach notices issued, 47 were either for a minor or first offence, Ms Pizzato said.
"These people will be getting warning letters, and any gear that was seized will be returned to them."
The most common whitebaiting offences recorded during the 2010 season were people leaving their nets unattended (fishers not staying within 10m of their net) and fishing more than a third of the total waterway channel.
The number of whitebaiting infringements had increased from the 2009 season, when there were 45 "write-ups" and eight prosecutions, Ms Pizzato said.
