THAMES FISHING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20092, 1 November 1928, Page 19

THAMES FISHING INDUSTRY.

PLIGHT OF LINE BOATS

DEPLETION OF SUPPLIES

[ jjv TFI.Kf.UA I'll.— OWN ColUM>l'OXni-.NT.] TIIAMKS, Wednesday. Thames line and set-net iisheinien arc having a lean time owing, they allege, to ihc depletion ol supplies in the gulf. Many of then- number. whose earnings have a\vrag.«l le.-s than ill weekly for several months, complain bitteily of their plight, which, they allege, is duo to the refusal of tin- Mai'iio 1 'ep.i l l .incut- lo iillord , rem :l proper mciisnre of protection from tlie inroads of power-driven nets. The problem. (ousidered by Mr. A. I'-. Ilefforil, thief Inspect..r .a l-'Miei les, as " bristling with ditlicullles," is to tinil a way enabling those engaged m the Indusliv to make reasonable wages, by conserving and maintaining supplies I" meet the. demand of the people for fresh fish. The set-net and line fishermen argue that Hie. u ulf should l>e closed to users of the, Danish seine nets and that trawlers ,-hould he banished to the open waters in the neighbourhood of such places a.-, Vhang.i-

The seiin net users, on the other hand, in- that anv further limit lo their already far-away area will drive them out of business, and seriously lower supplies to the puiiiic, whose demands cannot be met bv the net and line men alone. These points were stressed at a meeting of those interested this week which reiiuc.slcd Mi A M. Samuel. Reform candi■ite for Thames, to convey a resolution to the Minister of Marine, setting out the plight of the net and line men and calling on him to devise a method of assisting the iml list ry. The meeting . Iso unanimously requested •he appoinfmenf of an inspector lo check I. reaches of Ihe regulations. Ihc industry employs about 000 men at lb. lines, whose annual aggregate cat<h is valued at about 35.000. The several refrigerating plants and oilier buildings used for the marketing ol lisli are valued at iop rox in lately 1150.000.