The Lateral Line: June 2023

Five of Westland’s special protected areas celebrate their 10th anniversary this month.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) appreciates the help of the Kawau community in successfully freeing a juvenile pygmy blue whale that had wedged itself underneath a private wharf on Kawau Island on Monday, and is asking the public for sightings of the whale, approximately 14-15 meters in length - Image credit DOC

An Auckland poacher who sold or attempted to sell fish he caught illegally 35 times, has been fined $15,000.

A rare basking shark found at Gillespies Beach has been removed from the beach by DOC for preservation and further study at Auckland War Memorial Museum.

DOC is urging whitebaiters to have fun down at the river, follow the rules, and keep themselves and freshwater habitats safe as the whitebaiting season kicks off.

From the print archives: After a great trip soft baiting on a perfect day at the Graveyard on the Kaipara Harbour, we decided to come back and give it an even better crack.

Trevally are one of the hardest fighting sport fish New Zealand has to offer yet they are surprisingly under-rated by many fishos. It may sound mad to many, but a lot of fishermen still see trevally as nothing more than fresh bait.

Fishery officers will be inspecting catch bags and bins all weekend as the blue cod season opens throughout the Marlborough region.

Fishery officers were called in by Hawkes Bay police yesterday after they stopped a car with a big haul of pāua inside.

Dickey Boats launches the Pacific 62, an equation-changing vessel designed for sportfishers and passage-makers, offering exceptional blue-water capability, versatility, and performance for extended offshore adventures.