Gill-netting

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 20

Gill-netting

Sir, —Congratulations are in order for the Government moves to outlaw this type of environmental disaster. Unfortunately, however, the proposed action in targeting offending vessels within our waters does not go far enough. The Japanese are acknowledged as being masters in the art of subterfuge on matters such as this. Their record on whaling and rainforest destruction bears mute testimony to an attitude of indifference. Clearly, all Japanese and Taiwanese fishing must now be targeted in order to bring change. Continued access to our fisheries, in whatever form, should now rest on the ability of their industry to

curtail the use of the "wall of death.” — Yours, etc., COLIN I. FUSSELL. July 17, 1989. Sir,—Recently Japanese Government officials stated that gillnet (wall of death) fishing would continue, stating that there is no scientific evidence that gill-net fishing is harmful to fish stocks in the South Pacific. There is a 1000 km zone around Japan, in which gill-net fishing is banned. All South Pacific nations should follow the Japanese and ban gillnet fishing vessels and their mother ships from operating within 1000 km of their coasts, citing Japanese precedent — Yours, etc., E. J. WITWICKI. July 23,1989.