Seamen’s Union Move Over Oyster Boat

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31942, 20 March 1969, Page 16

Seamen’s Union Move Over Oyster Boat

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, March 19.

An oyster boat yet to be completed at a Port Chalmers shipbuilding yard will be declared black by the oystermen’s section of the Seamen’s Union unless the owners give an unqualified assurance within 24 hours that it will not be used for oystering in Foveaux Strait.

The oystermen feel that the present 22-boat Bluff fleet is sufficient and that any more boats will seriously affect both their livelihoods and the oyster beds.

The Otago Trades Council has supported the action of the Seamen’s Union and will make immediate approaches to the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr T. E. Skinner) to give full support to the union.

The secretary of the oyster-

men’s section of the union, Mr K. R. Aitken, said from Bluff tonight a decision was made 12 months ago to act against any groups which attempted to increase the number of oyster boats above 22. The president of the Trades Council (Mr W. B. Richards) warned tonight that “a serious situation” could arise as a result of any attempt to man and operate the boat Southern Enterprise—in the oyster beds.

Southern Enterprise, a 70ft vessel being built for an Invercargill co-operative enter-

prise fisheries, is believed to be costing in the vicinity of $90,000 and is designed specially for oystering. “The oystermen are taking the initiative where the Government has failed.

“It is the Marine Department and not us who should be banning the boat,” Mr Aitken said. Oystermen had strongly opposed the dellcensing of the industry. Several attempts have been made during the last 12 months by other concerns to begin oystering but these have been discouraged and have been called off.

The decision to declare the Southern Enterprise black was made at a meeting of the Seamen’s Union executive on Tuesday night, said the Dunedin branch secretary (Mr G. Macleod).

A crew of five would be required to work the boat and it is understood that a nonunion crew has been engaged. A director of Enterprise Fisheries, Mr L. E. Tall, said that the company was working within the law. "We do not have to employ union men to man our boat,” Mr Tall said.