Moratorium on fishing licences praised

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 3

Moratorium on fishing licences praised

PA Picton c r The moratorium on fishing c licences was the greatest c advance in the history of the f New Zealand fishing indus- f try, said the president of the. Federation of Commercial s Fishermen, Mr G. Field, yes- i terday. < But while he praised the t moratorium, which was announced in March, and the i proposed Fishing Industry t Bill, he told the federation’s i annual conference that the t temporary ban bn importing ! vessels penalised local I fishermen. ' “We deplored the Govern- t ment's decision. which deferred a decision on the 1 importation of further < domestic vessels for a three- I month period,” he said. I “New Zealand fishermen 1 are being penalised in direct ]

contravention ol the Government’s stated policy of favouring the local industry over joint ventures. and foreign-licence boats,” said Mr Field. Fletcher Fishing had shown the willingness of New Zealand companies to enter deep-water fisheries, given the opportunity, he said. Mr Field praised the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for its “foresight" in restructuring industry management along the lines suggested in the Fishing Industries Bill, which Parliament will discuss in the next session. He commended the Ministry’s decision to put a quota on hoki this year. Too often, fisheries had" been exploited to the point of extinction before controls had. been implemented.