b"EditorialMay/June 2023 / Issue 45This bin of Kaipara snapper caught in April were healthy and fat when filleted, none had the milky flesh afflicting their Hauraki cousins.FISHING IN GODZONE MAY/JUNE 2023 Issue #45COVER PHOTO Editor Matt Hewetson hooks a snapper in the shallows on a Z-Man softbaiting from the Oceanpro's casting platform.S how us the science backed data! any fish with the same milky flesh conditionEDITOR AT LARGE Mathew HewetsonThat is my response to all theout on the west coast, on the east coast ofWRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS comments and debate about theNorthland, or the Bay of Plenty where weScott Cushman, Dan Westerkamp, milky-white flesh afflicting snapperfish often throughout the year.The fishPowerBoat Magazine, Michael in the Hauraki Gulf.Many arecaught here are healthy and fat, often withHendriks, Tony Milnercalling it as malnourished fish due to thefat slicks along your filleting knife, so it wouldDESIGN ecosystem crashing or not enough food in theseem this flesh condition is confined toBlockstart environment for the snapper. the Hauraki. www.blockstart.co.nzMany have doubts that this is the case andSome people are calling it a result ofPRINTING I have seen fish with this odd flesh myselfmicroplastics or pollution from GodzonesSCG Printwhen fishing in the gulf over the years, withbiggest city leaching into the gulf.WhatDISTRIBUTION a few fish turning up in our catch that havewe need is the Government and NIWA,Are Direct NZthis when filleted.However, if you went outuniversities with their marine biologists andPUBLISHER in the middle of the gulf fishing in a work- Fisheries NZ all working together to researchMarlin Marketing Limited Mathew Hewetson up that occur almost daily, it would be hardthis impact on snapper and collating data onP: 022 355 0588 to believe this with tonnes of baitfish beingfish landed to get a more accurate idea onE: mathew@marlinmarketing.co.nzgorged by whales, dolphins, birds and ofwhat is happening.course snapper cleaning up after them. Simply guessing and jumping to conclusions These fish are in prime condition and yes,and then actions of banning fishing or locking the baitfish runs of pilchards and anchoviesup coastal areas is knee jerk stuff that the are seasonal, but the gulf still has large wormfishing community doesnt need.Every anglerFishing In Godzone is subject to copyright in its entirety.The contents beds, shellfish (cockles, whelks, pipis), sandwho fishes on the Hauraki Gulf wants to seemay not be reproduced in any form, in dollars, kina and crabs that are all importantit healthy and are happy to help, we can getwhole or in part, without the written permission of the publishers. All copy, parts to a snappers diet. involved by reporting catches if a system wasphotos or other material forwarded to It is also odd that the snapper fishing increated to record this. the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled the gulf over the past several years has beenLets hope we see action and opennot for publication.Opinions expressed the best in many years.The stocks havereporting from NIWA and Fisheries NZ whofrom such content are not necessarily those of the publisher.improved and so the fishing, but there areadvised are examining both commercial and multiple reports on the state of the Haurakirecreational catches, to help this complexISSN 23821655Gulf causing concern with issues such asmarine ecosystem which could do with afishingingodzone.co.nzsediment runoff choking the seabed, tohelping hand. /fishingingodzonetrawling which ploughs the seabed.Action to help limit this would no doubt provideMathew Hewetsonbenefits to the gulfs ecosystem.I would also note that we have yet to catchEDITOR AT LARGEGREAT DIGITAL CONTENT FOR ONLY $5 A MONTH6FISHING IN GODZONE MAY/JUN 2023"