FISHING INQUIRY Independent Fisheries Board Recommended

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29772, 15 March 1962, Page 11

FISHING INQUIRY Independent Fisheries Board Recommended

(NZ. Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 14. The establishment of a centralised fisheries administration under a national fisheries board was recommended by the professor of zoology at Victoria University of Wellington (Professor L. R. Richardson) today.

He said, when giving evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on the Fishing Industry, that this board should have a majority of members interested in but independent of the industry.

Such an organisation was the most suitable body to advise the Government and direct and control the development of the industry in the national interest This body should work in 'control of sub-committees such as a fisheries advisory committee concerned with local developments, a fisheries research committee, a fisheries marketing and quality control committee, a fisheries regulations committee and a fisheries education and publicity committee.

This set-up was recommended in preference to the dispersal of activities among State departments already with major concern in other activities.

The under-capitalised present industry could not be expected to bring about the necessary major expansion needed in the national interest. It was proposed that the national fisheries board should be fully subsidised from public funds for an initial period of five years to carry out its own activities and to initiate exploration and research. Licence Issue

The issue of licences should be in terms of development with a ready entry to the industry for experienced men seeking to operate their own vessels, and a need for proof of the right to retain a licence.

Regulations at present preventing the landing for sale of species not already marketed and the carrying of

standard gear for the exploration of further commercial opportunities should be abandoned as also any other impediment to exploration and experiment with standard gear by working commercial trawlers. Any vessel equipped solely to explore a fishery not yet established in this country should be automatically granted an experimental licence until the fishery was proven. Rich Production Data covering the fisheries of the Southern Hemisphere showed the waters were richly productive in fish. Professor Richardson said. There was nothing to indicate a lower relative fertility for New Zealand waters, he said.

The South African region, producing 1,050.000 metric tons, held tenth ranking place in the 25 fishing regions of the world. South Africa, from 1954 to 1959, increased its landings from 347500 to 450,700 metric tons; Chile from 143500 to 272,800 metric tons; Peru from 176,100 to 2.000.000 metric tons. The shallow waters round New Zealand amounted to 109545 square miles with a present production rate of 0.791 b an acre, contrasted to 101 b to 131 b an acre for the waters of South Africa, and 151 b an acre for the waters of the west coast of the United States.

A comparison of fishing fleets showed an average of 2.5 men a boat, operating

on a ratio of 4.5 square miles a boat, and landing at a rate of 33,6001 b a man a year on the west coast of the United States, as against 2 men a boat, a ratio of 74 square miles a vessel, and a landing rate of 33,1001 b a man a year for New Zealand. These figures were provided as indicating fishery fleets of small vessels in each case, equivalent fertility in the area, and an opportunity for at least a 10-fold increase in New Zealand landings, bringing production an acre to only half that of the west coast of the United States figure.

“Our trawl fishery lands at the rate of 051 b an acre, compared to 4.51 b an acre for the west coast of the United States," Professor Richardson said.

From these figures and from lack of evidence to the contrary, it was concluded that there was no necessity to restrict licences at the present level of operation of the fishing industry in New Zealand.

The practice of licensing for reasons of conservation was premature.