“Expansion Of N.Z. Fishing Industry Is Possible”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29102, 14 January 1960, Page 4

“Expansion Of N.Z. Fishing Industry Is Possible”

“The Press’ Special Service

DUNEDIN, January 13.

The area of shallow productive water surrounding New Zealand is greater than the total area of the Dominion's arable land and nearly half the area of the North Sea, Professor L. R. Richardson, head of the department of zoology, Victoria University of Wellington, said in Dunedin.

Professor Richardson said he had recently completed the first “reasonably correct” measurement of the area of the waters, using the latest charts of depths supplied by the director of the Institute of Oceanography, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

“There is a long-standing tradition that New Zealand has a very limited fisheries area because the islands are seen as rising abruptly from great depths of water. There are also superstitious views that the waters are infertile and can be readily overfished. These ideas are all wrong,” said the professor, who has long been a protagonist for expanding New Zealand’s fishing industries.

“We consider New Zealand has a very good agricultural industry, and this is based on an arable area of about 69,000 square miles (according to the New Zealand Yearbook). “Down to a depth of 100 fathoms we have a total of about 84,000 square miles of productive fishing water surrounding the Dominion. This exceeds the total area of arable land.

“If anybody feels that this 84,000 square miles is insufficient to support a vastly expanded fishing industry, they make a gross error. ‘“The fact is that down to a depth of 250 fathoms we have a

total of 109,000 square milesexceeding the total area of New Zealand.”

Instead of rising abruptly from deep waters the greater part of New Zealand was surrounded by a reasonably formed shallow submarine plateau, Professor Richardson said.

For every man at sea £l5OO worth of primary produce is landed on the wharf in a year. (This figure is obtained by dividing the number of actively engaged fishermen into the value of the total catches).

“I understand that for a dairy farm it is generally assumed that one man will handle 30 cows and that the value in terms of butterfat at the front gate of the production of the dairy farm is in the order of £l2OO.

“If we compare the capital investments we will find that a fishing boat worth about £BOOO would be operated by three men. and on this basis should land at least £4500 worth of fish on the wharf each year. “Any farmer would recognise that on this basis, capital investment in the fishing industry is well worth while.

“I must emphasise that the above figures are crude and could probably be refined—certainly to my own knowledge energetic fishermen are working well above a return of £l5OO a man a year.

“I hope these facts and figures will help bring a better understanding of the great value of these national resources which surround our shores. I think I have given ample evidence to shake the traditional views and superstitions about the smallness of our productive areas and paucity of our fish.”