TRIAL METHODS IN TUNA FISHING

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30633, 26 December 1964, Page 3

TRIAL METHODS IN TUNA FISHING

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 25.

The first stage of a combined Marine Department and Fishing Industry Board tuna development project will start in the first week of February in the GisborneTauranga area. This was announced by the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) and the chairman of the board (Mr I. T. Cook). Mr Scott said the objective of the four to six weeks experimental tuna fishing programme would be to compare, under commercial conditions, the effectiveness ai l economies of different methods of tuna fishing.

These would be mono-fila-ment gill netting, live bait pole fishing, long lining, and possibly purse seining. Four boats would be used. It was expected three would take part in the fishing demonstration at Tauranga in January. Japanese Help Planning for the project was in the hands of a joint committee set up by the board comprising representatives of the department and the board, with Mr F. V. Lindberg, of Auckland, as chairman.

It was hoped an experienced live box bait pole fisherman would be brought from Australia to run the pole fishing boat. New Zealand skippers and crews who had training during the Japanese fishing demonstrations would run the boats using the other three methods under direct supervision of Japanese experts. It was planned to use aircraft for tuna spotting and use would be made of modern electronic fish-finding equipment.