Chatham Pise trip ‘a first for trawlers’

Press, 29 June 1981, Page 5

Chatham Pise trip ‘a first for trawlers’

PA Nelson A Nelson trawler has. according to its owners, achieved a New Zealand first — a successful trip to fishing grounds more than 560 km off-shore in seas previously only fished by foreign vessels.

A spokesman for Sealord Products. Ltd, owners of the 30-metre Fifeshire, said it was the first time a New Zealand vessel had joined the big Japanese. Russian, and other foreign ships in the stormy Chatham Rise fishing grounds. The Fifeshire’s skipper, Mr Glenn Duggan, and his crew of six landed a capacity catch of 75 tonnes of orange roughly for the company’s Nelson factory. "We were away for 12 days, but for seven days we dodged the weather, which blew consistently between 45 and 55 knots." said Mr Duggan.

He said that his crew were determined to disprove the theory that New Zealanders were not able to fish in deepwater grounds. The Fifeshire was fishing in waters betw’een SCO and 1000 metres deep, but apart from some extra weight its trawl gear was not modified. Mr Duggan said that the catch came in only three "shots" of the net. "The first time we caught 30 tonnes in 30 minutes." he said.

Despite the successful venture. Mr Duggan believes that Fifeshire — at 200tonnes one of the biggest of New Zealand's domestic fleet — is too small for deepwater fishing.

He said two Sealord Japanese joint-venture vessels in the area, the 2600tonne Akagi Maru and the 2000-tonne Kurama Maru. w’ere able to keep fishing through most of the bad weather. They had given the Fifeshire the best positions and depths to catch the orange roughy. The Sealord operations manager, Mr A. How, said that the company has applied to the Fishing industry Development Grants Fund for assistance to develop deeperwater fishing and the Fifeshire's voyage had demonstrated the company’s capability.

"This is the first time the deep-water species, orange roughy. has been landed by the Sealord domestic fleet and we believe by any New Zealand commercial vessel," Mr How said. The Fifeshire was fitted with satellite navigation equipment giving it the pinpoint accuracy required for fishing the Chatham Rise.

Mr How said that the venture would not become a regular assignment for the Fifeshire or its sister ship, the Whitby, as they were unsuitable tor fishing in the weather on the Chatham Rise.

The president of the Nelson Fishermen s Society (Mr C. Sharp) said later that fishermen would like New Zealand fishing companies to invest in deep-water vessels now that local fishermen had proven their off-shore skills. “Only two years ago the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Fishing

Industry Board did not think that New Zealanders could work depths of 650 metres," he said.

"We have now worked more than 700 metres on the West Coast hake fishery and 1000 metres on the Chatham Rise."

New Zealand fishermen had now established a presence in both areas with "inadequate vessels." he said Thoughts should now be towards giving local fishermen more rights to these fisheries.

"We also feel that local fishing companies now have the green light to make investments in the catching sector that match their large investments in the processing sector for joint-venture orange roughy," he said.