Crayfishing Laws Criticised

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31346, 17 April 1967, Page 8

Crayfishing Laws Criticised

(NiZ. Press Association)

TIMARU, April 14

A Timaru fisherman with extensive experience of Chatham Islands conditions yesterday called for an independent businessman’s inquiry into what he termed the “shambles” surrounding the Chathams crayfish industry.

Mr J. Inkster, Who has been working the islands’ crayfish beds for the last eight months, claims that Marine Department red-tape has been obstructing a valuables source of overseas income; for New Zealand.

“The landing of live crayfish to be processed ashore is the main fault of the in-

dustry,” he said. “The only way to unload our deck cargoes is on to barges close inshore to the rock coasts. The unloading operation in rough weather can be a complete shambles. “A deckload of sliding cargo is extremely hard to handle and if high seas prevent landing, the present law states I should either dump the lot overboard or else wait till the weather improves at the risk of complete spoilage. But under no circumstances can I tail a crayfish aboard.” Twice, his trawler, the Norseman, had nearly been wrecked trying to unload in rough weather, he said, and in both cases the accident could not be avoided. Once, the propeller fouled the hawser of a barge. On the other occasion the ship was left almost high and dry on a reef and had to be reversed

off at full s—j».i, losing the rudder in the process. “I asked permission of the Marine Department authorities ashore after this incident to tail and freeze our catch because dumping could have attracted sharks which were seen in the.vicinity,” said Mr Inkster. “The answer I received was an emphatic no. Evidently the makers of these inflexible regulations would rather let a valuable catch rot in the sun than allow reason to prevail.”

Mr Inkster advocated an immediate change of regulations so that tailing of crayfish for export could be allowed aboard fishing boats when the seas were too rough for safe unloading. “Most boats working the

Chathams are suitable to be used as factory ships. I am sure fish could be landed on the mainland for export in as good a condition from my ship as they can be if tailed and frozen ashore.” Mr Inkster said that an inquiry by a team of businessmen, preferably not connected with the fishing industry, whose findings should be implemented without delay, would be the best thing that could be done for the Chathams industry. He criticised the work of a Marine Department team which last year conducted a survey on the islands. "A newspaper article recently said the team’s report had been delivered. Why hasn’t it been published? Why has another team gone to West Australia to investigate crayfishing over there? Mr Inkster said processing crayfish was a relatively simple matter. "There is absolutely no need for a subsidised trip that will produce another pigeon-holed report.” “If the Marine Department is adamant in refusing to relax its rulings then the proposed Chathams airstrip should be given priority so that frozen freight can be flown to the mainland. The value in overseas funds to New Zealand warrants this,” he said.