New Zealand: Increasing number of snapper caught in the Hauraki Gulf are suffering from starvation

Official information has revealed alarming information about the plight of our favourite fish, the snapper - some are suffering from starvation. Fishers said an increasing number of snapper caught in the Hauraki Gulf are in poor condition and have flaky, white fillets. They are distinctively different to the firm and almost translucent fillets most are used to. "Simply, they're starving. The fish in the Hauraki Gulf right now are starving," said Sam Woolford from Legasea NZ. Staff at a Kai Ika filleting station in Auckland said it's an increasing problem not just with snapper, but trevally too. "We know that about 20 percent of the fish that are now being cut all have this milky flesh issue with them," Woolford said. Official information shows Biosecuity New Zealand "did not find any evidence to indicate a biosecurity concern regarding exotic diseases or infectious agents". Rather, its report said: "It is suspected that the Milky-White Flesh Syndrome seen in snapper is related to ...