Use patrol boats, says Just Defence

Press, 22 July 1989, Page 8

Use patrol boats, says Just Defence

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

Frigates are not the right kind of vessel to deal with the drift gill-net menace, according to the defence research group, Just Defence.

It was replying to the suggestion of the Minister of Defence, Mr Tizard, that the region should have a blue-water navy capable of dealing with drift-netting.

Mr Kevin Hackwell of Just Defence agreed with Mr Tizard on what was needed but said frigates were not the right ships. Dealing with fisheries protection issues such as drift-netting was one of the main roles for a bluewater navy. But dealing with Japan-

ese and Taiwanese fishing boats did not require Australian frigates worth hundreds of millions of, dollars, run by a crew of 160, equipped with the latest anti-submarine technology, and costing nearly $lOO,OOO day to run, he said.

New Zealand should buy six cheap, blue water, long-range, ocean patrol boats, he said. It could operate some in the wider South Pacific while the rest looked after the huge 200-mile exclusive economic zone at home. That was a much better option than buying four expensive new frigates that would spend most of their time practising war games — like the present frigates.