N.Z. fish undercut by Koreans, Russians

Press, 4 July 1978, Page 6

N.Z. fish undercut by Koreans, Russians

PA Wellington i New Zealand’s export mar-j kets are being flooded with I fish eaught under licence inj the 200-mile economic zone! by foreign trawlers. The general manager of the < Fishing Industry board (Mr!; N. Jarman) says that South; Korean and Russian trawlers • are landing their catches I from the 200-mile zone in• traditional New Zealand; markets He said in the latest issue; of the board’s “Bulletin"' magazine that South Korean trawlers were selling their ; catches on the Japanese) market. Soviet catches from the) 200-mile zone were finding! their way on to the Austra-1 tian market through a joint Soviet-Singapore venture, j called Marissco. South Korean catches of; barracuda were selling on the Japanese market for little

i more than the cost of freight- | ing such fish from New Zealand by traditional transport I vessels. “The different economic ! structures of the South 1 Korean and Soviet fishing : industries will make it very I difficult for our industry to I compete,” said Mr Jarman. ) The board recognised that| I there were real difficulties in •trying to exercise control on ! third-country trading, and it I would normally oppose any Government moves to restrict i the industry's trading pat- • terns. “The ability to compete is I the single most important j factor determining the success of our developmental i plans, and it is critical that 'some solution be found,” he I said. "Prices in Japan for New ! Zealand’s fish have dropped ' drastically following landings ;from Korean vessels of fish caught in New Zealand waters.”

Mr Jarman said a big advantage of joint ventures was that they could be subject to greater controls than foreign-licensed vessels. It would be easier for the New Zealand fishing industry to compete on international markets if all the excess fish catch in the 200-mile zone was licensed out to joint ventures.

Mr Jarman said the Australian fish market had also been affected by the Japanese landing considerable quantities of fish caught off South America. Because of this, and the landing of Soviet catches, stocks of New Zealand fish were higher than the industry believed desirable, or was able to finance. “ft is disappointing that at a time when the New Zealand industry is catching more fish than ever before, export markets for its products are temporarily depressed.” said Mr Jarman.