Continuing Tuna Tests

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 3

Continuing Tuna Tests

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 9. The Fishing Industry Board and the Marine Department will continue their Gisborne-based experimental programme of gill netting and trolling for tuna in East Coast waters next year during the Feb-ruary-May season.

Announcing this after a meeting in Wellington today, the Fishing Industry Board’s tuna development committee said it considered there had not yet been sufficient work done on gill netting for tuna to establish the economics of

this method for small vessels, nor had the trials this season proven the technique economic under the weather conditions prevailing. “Results suggest very strongly that the catching of tuna species such as albacore and skipjack will be possible over only a relatively short season, the duration of which will be influenced by water temperatures and salinities which affect the presence of the fish,” the committee report said.

“Weather conditions will also influence catching because relatively calm conditions are necessary for gill netting. "Even if gill netting for tuna is proved uneconomic, the data assembled will be useful in assessing whether the gill-netting technique can be applied to other surfaceschooling fish.

“Observations on tuna school activity recorded during the project will also be most valuable if other catching methods, such as purse seining, are adopted.” During operations by one chartered 45ft vessel off the East Coast from February to May, only 18 days were suitable for gill netting and 30 for trolling, the rest being marred by high winds. Nevertheless 15,729 lb of tuna were landed. The over-all average weight of the albacore tuna was 15.91 b, and of the skipjack 9.71 b. “The catches recorded in the gill nets were five times greater than last year, but this season will show whether this was because more fish were present, or because of better nets and more experience in using them,” the report said.