"STAGGERING."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 291, 8 December 1937, Page 10

"STAGGERING."

LACK OF INFORMATION FISHERY REPORT WANTED. ■ i CHAIRMAN u NOT BITING." (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The report of the Sea Fisheries Investigation Committee will not be ready for presentation to Parliament until next year. This information was given to the House of Representatives to-day by the Minister of Marine, Mr. Fraser, in reply to a question asked when the Supplementary Estimates were under discussion.

"It is time we had the report," said Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (National, Riccarton). Tho House was asked to sanction £700 for portion of the travelling expenses and allowances of the members of the committee. In tlie main Estimates £."?00 had bePn voted. It was high time the report appeared. The Minister of Marine, Air. Fraser: You will have the report before tho session ends. Australian Trawlers. Mr. Kvlo said that the number for Thames (Mr. .T. Thorn) was chairman of tho committee and this was an opportunity for him to tell tho House how far the investigation had proceeded. Every now and then Australian vessels came into New Zealand waters to take fish. The Customs Department had seized ono trawler, but had liberated it again. Mr. Thorn: You are fishing; I'm not biting. Mr. H. C,. Dickie (National, Patea) wanted to know when the committee had seen the last fish. Lack of Information. The Minister said the work of the committee had been conscientious as well as efficient. It had had the thorough co-operation of the fishing industry. The report, which would be presented to the House when it resumed after the midsummer holidays, would be the first comprehensive survey of the fishing grounds of the Dominion. He and Ministers who had preceded him had complained of the paucity of information in the fisheries branch of the Marine Department. The lack of information was stagger ing. Mr. Dickie: A good fish j-tory. The Minister said that Mr. A. E. HefTord, who had been appointed from Great Britain to the position of chief inspector of fisheries, had said repeatedly that lie was handicapped in every possible way in getting information concerning New Zealand's fisheries. Even after the committee accomplished its task a great deal of research work would remain to be done. He knew of no investigation committee that had done more conscientious work. Territorial Waters. Mr. Fraser said that the fishing boats that came from Australia had nothing to do with the committee's work. That was a question involving territorial waters. Mr. J. Ilargest (National. Awarua) said that the height of the ti-hing season was being reached and the report was still absent. Mr. Eraser: The )Uh do not need the report. Mr. Ilargest: Hut the fishermen do. However. I suppose one year is just as good as another to the committee, seeing it commenced its investigations about a year ago. We have a right to expect the report at a reasonably early date.