THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 167, 27 July 1901, Page 3

THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

MEETING OF FISHERMEN,

PETITION AGAINST TRAWLING IN

THE GULF,

Yesterday afternoon a meeting of those interested in the fishing industry.and in the agitation against trawling, was held in the Harbour Board public room. There was a large attendance of fishermen.

Dr. Moir presided, and said the meeting was called so as to get the opinions of. the fishermen who were fishing in the Gulf. It was considered that it would be a good thing to get the opinions of both sides on the question of trawling, which had been so much discussed in the newspapers of late. He invited those present to speak on the question. The first speaker was Mr Joseph Wheeler, who said that the trawler Mr Sanford was using was destroying the young fish; he did not think Mr Sanford fully understood the effect of trawling. The speaker served his time in a trawler nt Home, and he knew that trawling destroyed t'hc spawn of the flounder. It was a wellknown fact, spoken to by one who had been in the trawler, that from one night's trawling- in the Gulf there had been from three to' four tons of fish thrown overboard. He thought Mr Sanford should be prevented from trawling within the limits of the Gulf. Mr Sanford's trawl-net was not adapted for fishing in deep water, and his gear would not allow n flounder the size of a shilling to go clear of the net. As for the statements made regarding fishermen^ earnings, a recent experience of his own was that after paying boat-rent and tucker he had only 13/ to take home to his family as the result of a fortnight's fishing". He did not think that a fisherman here averaged more than £2 to 30/ a week all the year round.

Several of those present said: "Yes, we do."

Mr Wheeler said: "You might; there are exceptions." Then he asked once more: "Do we average £2 a week?"

To this there were cries of "No, no."

One of, those present said a good fisherman in his boat could average £4 a week all through the. -winter. (Cries of dissent.) Mr John Cuomo said he had been fishing the Hauraki Gulf for the past twenty-two years. Formerly he could make about 30/ a day; now he might work from daylight to dawn and not make above 10/ or 12/ a day. He had seen the trawler fishing near Chamberlain's Island and elsewhere inside1 the Gulf

Mr James Quinn said it was not the trawling that was making the fish scarce; he did not see that the trawler hurt the fish about here. He himself had been a line fisherman for, many years, and he averaged £4 a week all the year through. There were places where the trawler did not go where the fish were getting scarce. He used to get £10 or £12 worth of fish a week inside* the Wade and thereabouts where the trawler did not go, but now good fishing could not be got there. The trawler might get a lot of small fish', but the trawling did not injuriously affect the supply of fish as far as the line fishermen were concerned. Mr John Gray said the inshore trawling had spoiled- the Scottish fishing industry, and it would do the same in New Zealand. The only thing to do here was to abolish it, or enlarge the net meshes, or else properly define the limits within which tra-wling must not be allowed. The interests of future generations would greatly suffer if the present sort of thing was allowed to go on. . A letter was then read, received by an Auckland fisherman from Mr Geo. Fowlds, M.H.R., stating that he was riving attention to the question of protecting the fishermen's interests, and if something was not done by the Government he would bring up the question in the House. •' . • Dr Moir said he himself had been engaged in trawling work on the court of Scotland in his young days and he had practically been brought up from the time he was twelve years old on a fishing-boat, so that te.took a great interest in the industry. This question was one of great importance as affecting the fish supply, and the interests of fishermen, and he hoped it would be fully ventilated. Mr E Sweeney said the trawler was destroying the fish in the Gulf, and he could not make a. living at it now. Mr Gorman also complained that the trawler was destroying fish and taking the fishermen's living away from

them. He cited localities where he had been fishing where the trawler had made the fish exceedingly scarce.

Mr P. Pearson said he had been out several trips in the Minr\ie Casey trawling, and they shovelled fish overboard every trip. They always had big hauls. In the Thames Gulf, on" Tapu, was where the trawler did most damugu amongst the flounders. The trawler did not dainags the schnapper so much as the flounder.

In regard to the question of the trawler destroying' small fish the Chairman eaid that Mr Sanford practicallj admitted in a letter that the principal damage done by the trawl was catchingl the small fish.

Mr .N. Bcntzon said that if a bigger mesh were not enforced on the trawle r very soon there would be no fish tc:U here. In less than •two years there would bo no fishing in these waters H1 they let the trawlers go on working1. They hadn't got much extent of coast line here. There was not as much as in the British Channel; and it would not take much to destroy the fishing industry altogether.

Dr. Moir said it was a question whether the meeting- wished to do anything further. There was a petition to Parliament there on the subject of trawling, and anyone who wished to sign could do ho. A fisherman said that some considerable time ago a petition had been sent to Parliament on the subject, but no attention was paid to it. The meeting then closed. Most of those present then signed the petition to Parliament referred to by the chairman. It reads as follows: —"The petition of the undersigned fishermen, resident in the city of Auckland and adjacent districts, interested in the matters herein referred to sheweth (1) that for some years past the practice of trawling for fish in and beyond the Hauraki has been carried on; (2) that so far as your petitioners are aware there is no law properly rngulating such practice; (3) thnt the present mode of trawling fish in and about the Hauraki Gulf is such as will In course of time denude the waters of the g-ulf of fish, for the following reasons: (a) That your petitioners believe that the system of trawling for fish for the supply of the Auckland district and elsewhere is confined to the limits of the Gulf; (b) that the Gulf is the principal spawning and breeding- district for moat of the fish Vf the eastern coast of the northern part of New Zealand; (c) that the trawling within the Gulf is destructive of the ova, spawn and young fish within the limits of the Gulf, because the trawl is incessantly working over the spawning and feeding ground, thus destroying ova and young fish. As the trawl works under water for three or four hours without being withdrawn a vast majority of fish are dead when extracted from the and those returned to ■ the water on account of being under regulation size form at least half of the totul take; (4) that your petitioners know from practical experience that the supply of fish in the Hauraki Gulf is diminishing, and that within the last two years the fishing of the professional and amateur fishermen has been practically fruitless, unless they went a considerable distance from shore, and your petitioners attribute, this to the effects of trawling within the Gujjf; (5) that your petitioners are of opWfion that no trawling for fish* in sea waters should be permitted within any gulf or estuary of the sen waters, which should be protected as being the spawning and breeding grounds of the fish, wherein line fishing can do no harm or damage, but wherein trawling is calculated to destroy ova and spawn of the fish and to cause the death and destruction of small and young fish unable to escape, through the mesh, owing to the block of fish in the trawl. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honourable House will take into consideration the matters submitted, and will grant such relief !n the premises as to your honourable House may seem expedient."