Inshore fishing ’the mainstay’

Press, 21 December 1976, Page 10

Inshore fishing ’the mainstay’

Wellington reporter New Zealand has a very competent and versatile inshore fishing industry, according to the retiring general manager of the Fishing Industry? Board (Mr J. S. Campbell). His observations of other fishing industries led him to believe that it was one of the best inshore fishing industries in the world, taking into account the species of fish available to it and the weather and coastal conditions. New Zealand fishermen displayed and practised a competent versatility not found in many industries.

“The fishermen of New Zealand are very much under-rated,” he said. “Too many people have

seei the advert of the larg. foreign trawlers as in Mictment or criticism of tie smaller scale of operatons of our industry?

All Oer the world, the inshore’ishemian was the mainstay o f fishing industries. Inshore fishing vessels forked more efficiently pd economically than distat water vessels. Where tkre was a narrow conttentai shelf, such as in I. w Zealand, it was the insp re fleet that would be th. mainstav of production. lne slightly larger vesselsf or specific fisheries mighpe needed but the less* s o f the British and tther industries should te heeded — their boats jvere too big and too expeu ve.