Ten Fishermen Charged With Stealing Crayfish

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30092, 28 March 1963, Page 17

Ten Fishermen Charged With Stealing Crayfish

(Neio Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, March 27. Nine fishermen pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court at Invercargill today to charges of stealing crayfish tails. The amount involved was 40001 b of tails valued at £1292.

The crayfish tails were said to be the property of the Pegasus Fishing Company. Ltd., the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, Ltd., Dixon Bros., Ltd., and Pascoe Bros. (Stewart Island). Ltd. The men were Russell William Fisher; Arthur Augustine Fisher, aged 39; Milford William Waitire, aged 32; Cheslands Edwards, aged 33; Robert Bailey, aged 33; Eric Lindsay Mackay, aged 34; Carl Johan West, aged 24; Anthony Henry Williams, aged 19 (all represented by Mr C. N. B. French); and William Thomas McQuarrie. aged 43 (Mr P. J. Toomey) A tenth man, Richard Nicol Anderson Fisher, aged 31 (Mr French) was not present. Detective-Sergeant E. R. Tyson prosecuted. In the case against West and Williams, Stanley William Jones, a public accountant and director of a number of fishing companies, including Pascoe’s, said Pascoe’s owned six vessels. West had been a skipper for him for several and had asked if he could take over the Girl Isobel, a better boat. This was approved on the “usual conditions.” The witness said he told West that all the fish belonged to the merchant and must not be sold. The vessel was hired on a share basis.

On March 16. 1962, he. called West to his office to tell him it had been reported he (West) had sold crayfish at Milford Sound. He told West he had to discuss the matter with the police. To Mr French, the witness said he had never done any fishing nor had the other shareholders of Pascoe’s. The men had entire control of the vessels and could fish where they pleased. Asked about payments for catches, the witness said he paid for the catch in good condition. He would not pay for losses overboard, except with oysters. No fisherman

should bring in bad fish nor should any be washed overboard. If this happened, the fisherman was not doing his job. Asked if he would object if his fishermen sold tails between 5J inches and six inches, the witness said he would. Under the law the owner was responsible and the Government would confiscate the boat. He did not want to have to buy his boats back.

Asked by Mr Patterson about agreements between owners and skippers, the witness said the industry did not have written agreements. It was part of a tradition. Detective K. G. Jefferies read a statement allegedly made by West in which he said he was asked for crayfish by Albert James Boyd, director of the Boyd Fishing Company, Bluff, at Milford Sound. He refused but Boyd kept asking and he eventually sold Boyd nine bags. “My conscience then pricked me, and I wished I had not done it,” the statement said. The hearing will continue tomorrow.