FISHING WITH THE SEINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 16, 20 January 1931, Page 6

FISHING WITH THE SEINE.

Your correspondent, Mr. Smith, is very poorly informed as regards the Auckland fishing industry. Is he unaware of the fact that seine boats are prohibited from working on the spawning grounds during the spawning season? The penalty for failing to observe this by-law is £50. Mr. Smith's solution of the unemployment problem leaves me cold. I. fail to see how a gTeater number "of men can earn a living if, as he states, the present fleet at Mercury Bay ie often held up for three or four days a week. Mr. Smith says that the Auckland seine 'boats are continually fishing on tlie same grounds as he is, and that large quantities of Mercury Bay ftsh are thereby taken for the Auckland market. Well, now, seeing that the majority of the Auckland seine boats have -previously been line boate, why does not Mr. Smith fetch some to Auckland himself? He will find, as I have already found out, that the local market cannot absorb these fish at any payable price. If Mr. Smith has seen any quantity of undersized fish floating away from any of the Auckland seine boats will he please report th« matter to the Auckland Seine and Line Fishermen's Association, who, I am sure, will take steps to have the offender's net measured by the Government inspector? The fishermen of Auckland unanimously agreed upon having their nete made in euch. a manner as to enable undersized fish to easily escape, and I think that Mr.« Smith's remarks cast an unfair reflection on a respectable, hard-working body of men. I can only conclude from his letter ■that Mr. Smith is envious of those who have been wise enough to move with the times and go seine fishing. EDWARD MANSFIELD.