Fishing caution urged

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 3

Fishing caution urged

;PA Dunedin Port Chalmers fishermen want, the Government to “tread warily” before entering any international debates on harvesting the Ashing resources of a 200-mile economic zone. The fishermen fear .that a hasty carve-up of the fishing cake may squeeze out the small fisherman and make the situation chaotic. They also intend to keep a close eye on what protection and patrols will be used in southern waters. 1

“Let’s face it,” said Mr C. C. Spiers, a Port Chalmers fisherman who is the senior vice-president of the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen. “The protection and patrols we have had here lately have been less than minimal.” . Mr Spiers said that a 200mile zone had to be managed to protect and develop th: industry New Zealand already had. “This includes protecting the small owner-operator fishermen,” he said. The immediate benefit of i declaring the zone, Mr

Spiers said, would be that fishermen “manage the area.” “For a start, we can eliminate such unfair competition as the use of undersize mesh,” he said. “Everybody will be on the same footing, and New Zealand will be able to develop larger vessels to capitalise on the lesspopular species of fish. “Most of the good fish have been taken, and only the less-popular species remain,” said Mr Spiers. “But those less-popular species are retaining world demand,” he said.