Boat Survey Curtailed

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31881, 8 January 1969, Page 20

Boat Survey Curtailed

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, January 7. The survey of fishing boats in the 30ft to 40ft group, planned to begin this month, is now unlikely to start before April and will then be in abbreviated form.

The Marine Department does not have sufficient staff to implement the full scheme, and will now survey only 3540ft vessels before going on to smaller boats. The chief surveyor for the department, Mr D. J. McKenzie, said yesterday that April 1 could be the starting date but further discussions on the scheme would be held within the department this week. Mr McKenzie said the department was recruiting more men.

The Marine Department is sympathetic to the problems of boat owners in raising their craft to the standard for the issue of a certificate of survey, and each case would be treated on its merits, said Mr McKenzie.

The ultimate aim is to have all fishing boats over 20ft subject to survey requirements. The Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) has said the introduction of surveys for smaller ships was at the request of the industry, but many fishermen are not happy about the move.

They point to good safety records, and claim that the cost of bringing their ships up to strict survey standards is not warranted. Some say it will put smaller fishermen out of business, and will be to the benefit of the large wholesale merchants.

“We have been a thorn in the sides of the big firms for

some time,” one fisherman said.

Many of the boats in the 30-40 ft class are owned by fishermen who sell their wares directly to the public. They say the public likes the fresh undamaged fish they sell, and as long as their safety record is good, they should be allowed to continue their trade without survey.