Timaru firm buys Japanese squid jigger

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 10

Timaru firm buys Japanese squid jigger

PA Timaru Timaru’s fishing fleet will be boosted by the arrival of a $3 million squid jigger next month.

The San Te Maru No. 17 has been purchased by Sanford South Island, to ply the squid fishery out of Timaru.

She will sail from Japan on Monday. The 53m allsteel vessel is expected to take 23 days to travel to Timaru. Sanford aims to crew the vessel with New Zealanders, thus creating about 15 jobs. The vessel was originally a tuna fisher and on arrival she will be converted to the biggest wholly New Zealandowned squid jigger, to ply New Zealand waters. Mr Eric Barratt, the Timaru-based general manager of Sanford, said

in announcing the purchase that the aim of the company was to catch 1000 tonnes of squid annually.

The squid would be packed and frozen in blocks on board the vessel, and after they were landed at Timaru they would be exported to Japan.

Mr Barratt said Sanford would export also to Korea. His company’s decision to catch its own squid was further encouraged by the Japanese this year allowing 2000 tonnes of New Zealandcaught squid into, their markets free of tags.

During recent years Sanford has chartered a number of foreign jiggers to catch its squid. This year it will charter nine foreign vessels.

The decision of the

company to have its own vessel was based also on experience it had gained through chartering. “We have learnt quite a bit and we now feel we have the ability to operate our own vessel,” said Mr Barratt.

Only two other squid jiggers are ’ wholly New Zealand owned; however, both are substantially smaller than the San Te Maru No. 17. Mr Barratt said the squid fishery was one of the most valuable fish resources in New Zealand waters with a total allowable catch (this year) of 105,000 tonnes. Three Japanese crew will initially provide experience in handling the vessel, catching squid, and processing and packaging it.

Mr Barratt said Sanford

hoped to capitalise on the pool of displaced fishermen that were becoming available at the Port of Timaru through the restructuring of the inshore fishery. The company wanted to use qualified local fishermen in the running of the new vessel.

The San Te Maru No. 17 will be able to store up to 350 tonnes of squid in its freezer holds and stay at sea for more than 60 days at a stretch.

Mr Barratt said the squid would be marketed in Japan under the name of San Te Maru No. 17 as the name came close to those of Japanese jiggers.

Squid is often sold under the name of a vessel, especially if she carries a good reputation.