'No danger’ from crab fishing

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33413, 20 December 1973, Page 9

'No danger’ from crab fishing

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

A crab-fishing trial at the Auckland Islands, 290 miles south of Bluff, would not endanger the flora and fauna of the islands, nor would it jeopardise the food supply of sea-lions breeding there, the I Minister of Agriculture and [Fisheries (Mr Moyle) said lon Tuesday. Mr Moyle was replying in ;a statement to concern [expressed by the chairman of the Nature Conservation Council (Sir Robert Falla) and the owner of a research vessel, Captain A. J. Black. Mr Moyle said that when the seals were mating in March they fed on crabs in a soft-shelled state, near the islands. The vessel Satsu Maru would be fishing for crabs in

water not less than 60 metres deep, well away from the islands.

The objective was to catch the large male crabs, the smaller females that were the main diet of the seals at mating time, Mr I Moyle said.

No landing parties would be allowed from the ship, and during the seals’ breeding season in March the ship would be fishing 200 miles away.

Discussions had been held, and the ship’s New Zealand master. Captain R. Rae, fully understood the Government’s requirements for the preservation of the islands and their natural life.

A fisheries biologist would be on board, and he had been instructed to see that the seals were given every protection, said Mr Moyle.