Gas shortage hits fishing vessels

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 22

Gas shortage hits fishing vessels

Japanese and Korean fishing vessels that frequently visit Lyttelton for fuel and stores are finding themselves seriously short of liquefied petroleum gas (L.P.G.).

While local firms with L.P.G.operated forklifts fret, and caravan owners postpone holidays because of the shortage, the fishing vessels may have to go hungry. Most of the trawlers and squid boats use liquefied gas for cooking and while both Koreans and Japanese enjoy raw fish they don’t especially care for the idea of subsisting on it entirely. One Lyttelton provedore recently spent hours trying to. fill five empty gas bottles from visiting fishing boats. He managed to get them filled but his source remains secret. In the process of trying to locate the gas he discovered that the shortage is not only in the South Island—Auckland and Wellington sources reported that they, too, were out of L.P.G. One gas supplier, without gas, said: “This is just great. People were urged to convert their cars to L.P.G. to save petrol and, as a bonus were declared exempt from the earless days scheme. Now some of them have every day as a earless day.” ARRIVALS Union Lyttelton (7.29 a.m.), 4500, Wellington (U,S.S.). DEPARTURES Union Lyttelton (7 p.m. approx.), 4500, Wellington (U.S.S.).

Kha)ij Star (7 p.m. approx.), 4284, Napier (Scales). EXPECTED ARRIVALS Coastal Trader. Dunedin, today (Gladstone Pier). Smolny, Wellington, today - (Cashin Quay No. 2). Union Lyttelton, Wellington, to-

morrow. Marama, Dunedin, February 29. Erne Gisborne, March 1. Holmdale, Chatham Islands,

March 2. Coastal Trader, Auckland, March 3. Coastal Trader, Dunedin, March Union Hobart, Dunedin, March 6.

PROJECTED DEPARTURES Coastal Trader, Auckland, today. Union, Lyttelton, Dunedin, Hobart, Melbourne, tomorrow. Marama Wellington, February 29. v - Wild Gannet, Timaru, February 29. Novolvbvsk, Bluff, March 1. Saleve, Auckland, March 1. America Star, Iran, March 1. Erne, Marsden Point, March 2. Coastal Trader, Dunedin, March 3. Smolny, Peru, March 4. Coastal Trader, Auckland, March 5. Holmdale, Chatham Islands,

March 7. VESSELS IN PORT America Star, Cashin Quay No. 1. Barges (formerly Austral Lightning), No. 2 East. Saleve. No. 3 East. Wild Gannet, No. 3 West. Novolvovsk. No. 7 West. Godley (tug), Dry Dock.