Fishermen Appeal To Minister And Board

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30725, 14 April 1965, Page 1

Fishermen Appeal To Minister And Board

An appeal to the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) to reintroduce some form of conservation similar to licensing, and to the Fishing Industry Board to start to determine the economic potential of deep-sea fisheries, was made yesterday by Mr J. P. Davies, secretary of the INew Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen.

“The delicensing of the New Zealand fishing industry just over 18 months ago has aggravated the fact that the industry does not know where it is going and knows next to nothing of the continuity of its fishing stocks,” he said.

"My organisation is greatly concerned at the continuing depletion of the continentalshelf fisheries and the lack of knowledge regarding possible pelagic fisheries,” Mr Davies said.

The Marine Department had scientists engaged in biological research into certain species, but this was not what the industry wanted. The results from biological research started now would not be of use for many years. “We want to find out now where the fish are and whether they are there in economic quantities, whether they are marketable, and whether we can catch them in such a manner as not to deplete the grounds,” he said. “This is a job for the Fishing Industry Board.” Inquiry in 1962

Mr Davies said that the Parliamentary select committee which inquired into the fishing industry in 1962 recommended the abolition of licensing. But it accepted the need for conservation, and said that scientific investigation of the potential supply of fish would be undertaken and that when that potential was determined conservation measures would be reexamined. “The federation felt, and still feels most strongly, that before any change was made

to the conservation of fisheries by licensing—a conservation measures that allowed controlled expansion of the industry—a full practical exploration of the sea should have been made.” he said. In addition, methods of handling. processing, and marketing should have been studied, and the results diseminated to the industry, he ■ added. “Most Disquieting” Air Davies said that the pattern emerging from the abolition of licensing was most disquieting. Mr Scott. speaking at the Japanese fishing demonstrations at Tauranga recently, had said that 22 new vessels valued at £500,000 were under construction. “Yet individual catches from experienced fishermen are not increasing materially, even with improved vessels, more power, and electronic equipment. Greater distances; are being travelled and more time is being spent at sea—al most uneconomic situation,” | said Mr Davies. The Minister had also said he would be bitterly disappointed if New Zealand’s! catches of fish for commercial I use were not doubled within | the next 12 months. “Tn the present circum-i stances, I cannot see this hap-1 pening.” said Mr Davies. “There is an acute shortage of fishermen trained in fish catching and boat handling In my opinion, inexperienced investors entering the industry at this stage will lose money through insufficient knowledge of maritime enterprises. Shore Grounds “In the meantime fish stocks on the old. hardworked, shore grounds are being rapidly depleted, as

there is only a limited number of skippers with the necessary qualifications to go out greater distances to fish, and most continue to fish inshore.

“New entrants, in the absence of any technical information, will be unable to survive in any new and proven fisheries, when they are found, and will have to return to fish inshore if they are not to make too great a financial loss,” said Mr Davies.

The Parliamentary select committee and the Marine Department did not have sufficient information to justify the abolition of licensing. “The one person who was not heeded and who should have been listened too was the practical fisherman,” Mr Davies said.