Rape of fishing resources denied

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 2

Rape of fishing resources denied

By TONY SMITH in Nelson The Minister of Fisheries, Mr Moyle, has lashed out at claims that the

Government is letting foreign trawlers rape New Zealand's fishery resources.

He said in Nelson yesterday that it was the Government’s policy to support the “New Zealandisation” of the fishing industry. Mr Moyle, who was speaking at the renaming of Sealord Products’ big factory-freezer trawler Will Watch, said there was only one foreign trawler plying in New Zealand’s deep-water fishery.

In the season which began on October 1 last year, there had been 28 foreign-licensed vessels in New Zealand waters.

The foreign licensed catch was expected to be about 103,000 tonnes this year.

Mr Moyle said that 10 years ago there were 285 Japanese, 54 Russian, eight Korean, and eight Taiwanese vessels plying here. The foreign catch then was estimated at

300,000 tonnes. This year, the New Zealand industry expected to catch 340,000 tonnes of fish — three times the expected foreign catch. Mr Moyle said the Government’s policy was to reduce the foreign allocation 10 per cent a year and offer it to the New Zealand industry. “We didn’t do it exactly that way last year, because we found a more advantageous method to achieve the same end,” he said.

The trend was being accelerated this year. In recent bilateral fishing discussions, foreign-, licensed nations were told to expect cuts in their 1987-88 allocations.

The Will Watch provided 78 sea-going jobs and its refitting had brought in $3 million to Nelson companies. Mr Moyle said the fishing industry clearly had a key role in the Government’s regional development plans along with horticulture.