Technical Training For Fishermen?

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31195, 20 October 1966, Page 16

Technical Training For Fishermen?

For the sake of the New Zealand fishing industry it was essential that fishermen keep abreast of technical developments overseas, Dr. W. F. Hampton said in Christchurch yesterday. Rapid changes were going on in commercial fishing, and training in new methods of locating, catching, and processing fish was desirable.

Dr. Hampton is recognised as a world authority on fishing and is president of the College of Fisheries, Navigation, Marine Engineering and Electronics at St John’s, Newfoundland.

This week he began a twomonth visit to New Zealand to survey the industry and report to the University Grants Committee on the best methods of providing technical education for fishermen. He will also confer with the New Zealand Fishing Industry Board.

Dr. Hampton has been associated with the fishing industry since childhood. As a boy he went cod fishing with his father, a commercial fisherman. In winter, when the boats were tied up, he studied and obtained a university degree in chemistry.

He concentrated on aspects of fishing and has been engaged as a specialist by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, big commercial fishing enterprises, and the Government of Newfoundland. He said the great developments in recent years in fishing had been the use of electronic equipment to locate fish, highly efficient gear to make catches, and freezing equipment for storage. The opening of a college in Newfoundland had led to great inceases in the size and diversity of catches.

Whereas once the Canadian fishermen were catching only cod for commercial purposes, they were now bringing in as well haddock, salmon, halibut and herrings. Dr. Hampton likeneu fishing to farming. To make the best use of the land, men had to be trained in agricultural colleges. To exploit fishing fully and intelligently also required training. Dr. Hampton will visit all South Island fishing ports before going to the North Island.