Fishermen want Japanese boat away

Press, 27 February 1981, Page 2

Fishermen want Japanese boat away

Greymouth reporter ■ Albacore tuna fishermen I from throughout New Zealand want a Japanese trawl I research vessel removed [from New Zealand waters. A meeting in Greymouth yesterday, organised by the West Coast Commercial Fishermen’s Association, and attended bv representatives of the Fishing IndustryBoard and. executive members of the Commercial Fishermen’s Federation, decided to send telegrams to the Minister of Fisheries (Mr Maclntyre), the , Labour spokesman on fishing (Sir Basil Arthur), and the. Fishing Industry Board.

Some fishermen travelled more than 100 nautical miles to attend the meeting, and one spokesman said that if a solution was • not forthcoming the fishermen might become more militant.

They said' they strongly opposed the presence of the Japanese vessel Kvio Maru No. 52, and wanted tuna research done bv a New Zealand vessel. They also want the tuna fishing reserved for development by the New Zealand industry.-

About 100 vessels fish' for tuna out of the port of Grevmouth.

Already a fleet' of angry fishermen had tried to'surround and trap the Jananese vessel after it entered their fishing grounds, said > the Federation’s president, Mr E. Collins, according to a Press Association message. ' : “New Zealand boats chased her for three hours before she managed to escaoe and steam out to sea to the west,” he said. "They have been keeping a track on her on radar and on Wednesday night she was positioned north of Westport. "I hope the Minister will see common sense and keep the boat out of the area now.” The survey vessel is reported to have a top speed of 16 knots.