FISHING RIGHTS DEFINED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29238, 23 June 1960, Page 8

FISHING RIGHTS DEFINED

Regulations On Ports, Catches

The Marine Department Regulations allowed fishermen to dispose of their catch at a port other than the home port because of bad weather but fishing could only be done from the home port. This was to stop unscrupulous fishermen fishing from two ports and to stop fishing boats from different ports encroaching on each other’s areas, said the District Inspector of Fisheries (Mr H. Jorgensen) yesterday. Mr Jorgensen was commenting on a report that two Greymouth fishing boats had been forced to sell their catch at Westport when bad weather stopped them from returning to Greymouth. On the return to Greymouth, a week later, the boats passed over good fishing grounds but they were unable to attempt a catch, the regulation being that the boats would have to return to Greymouth, tie up at the wharf and recross the bar before starting to fish.

The regulation might seem difficult in the circumstances in the report, said Mr Jorgensen, but it was to the advantage of fishermen, as it defined areas that could be fished by boats from one port. It also stopped arguments between boats from different ports as to fishing rights.