Fish net designed by Chch man

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 2

Fish net designed by Chch man

KATE FEARN

A Christchurch man has designed an alternative to set nets.,

Mr Barry Mathers’ fish traps are similar to craypots. They come in two sizes and are made from galvanised wire mesh.

“The smaller size is suitable for a dinghy and the larger size can be used off a boat up to 20ft (6m) long,” Mr Mather said.

A former member of the Fishing Industry Board, he has been associated with fishing for more than 20 years. He came up with the idea of a fish trap, after set nets were banned on the coast during summer from Sumner Head to the Rakaia river mouth.

The trap eliminated the problem of untangling nets and was not so wasteful because the fish were still alive two to three days after the trap was set. Used like a craypot, with a line and buoy attached, the traps could hold between eight and 10 fish. The use of a sniffer box for the bait, inserted through a hatch at the top, lured the fish into the trap.