AUCKLAND'S FISH SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 9

AUCKLAND'S FISH SUPPLY

' • foiiJ'■ A -'< i;rt TRAWLING IN lIATJRAKI GULF lEGULATIOM 'ADVERSELY CRITICISED. ( , , (BT TELEGIfApttpfLPEOUI. CORBESrOKDERT) * J i, Auckland, January 8 Th 6 ("Herald" devotes a .spocial : article to it :---->v.v.;-,v.;.\: ho Object of tW'fish supply) in which it , > lttacks tlio Government's prohibition of 4 \ braxVling -in the Uauralu'Giilf.-: After reforr- ;:.. . ipg' tol the fine fishVng grounds and great anci varietyooff f fißh available, - and - ■■■ •;.... deploring Httys fact. tkat,. nevertheless- fish as ■ y an 'eitablo ,a luxury, the writer goes on to sjiy,r—Tl)g rdason L for tho present uns&tiSfactqij,.condition of MFairs uivtho-fisli supply ia - ltofefar to seek. -■ It Jies in tho 'bxißtetico.of ; \ • ih-Antiquated and altogether,.absurd;Govern- - ■ lfldnt? regulation .prohibiting trawling -m - tho■ >.■ ■< Hauralif Grilf' Auclsland people liave really ! heebmo po r nccustomed to Government s res- - . v - trictions-i upon their -ijirivilcges that- tboy . •• soem >to havef losi/i energy to kick They _ j tirednin' struggle, . xi - , against tho Government mqddling and inter- v , fercnco. .<■ These . : .restnctions :. 'have beop framedi'With .an utter lack of know- ~ 'lodge*of.ilocal. conditions, and-were, based. on-,i i ■ ■ .Jiho' m., tho v;.-., i. . Soutlj Island-: must necessarily prevail nere, .:. whoreas .the conditions, in tho:Sonth.m regard t' v. L -.A - to Bea-fishing;;are. as- dilferent from-those m... -thpy. .could rpossibly be. :..v.,. v v,y:■> Tho and.jnlets lnlhc South Island,' , pidoed all along the Now Zealand,cdasts. ■ ..Tm . c iijy to waters, are i companitiyoly i. -. "juiTrowi and confined, and no doubt: lt-'is rea--.' -.- ; Bonablo pnough- tovprohibit..trawlrog..; therej .;- . -but.thd Hauralfi )Sul£.-is in,a.totally different, :■>: ..pqsition.v .-. It-is. vast.arm of.the -sea,vvv;.t■ not. narrow m .any sonsts..of tho..;, ,-i.v • terms, ,nul _it offors- more ; .tlian ample s . line, fishing alike. . "The lino .-". A - . ' fi'slierWen; ,nai'uraljy; ,to ,feap fibo-iliiggost ..harvest and*, ...... -.v., ■ ;thoi^ Vj numbpr'.liitviipdn vtlib '.-brilliant ; I ide.vof; KSomnK.!thV great gulf to,' tho_lino -'

buruuu .an uvtuntivu _«u> luvrußauo ui > • .■• ■. •« people of .Auckland' for, a cheap.fish- supply : v .was magnified into capitalistic .projects lor -• v.;: 'monopolies for-tile elimination- of - the Una.-.■■■ :iliormcn ( ' and for tho ruination 1 of tho - ■; . . dawning grounds of all tho*fish in. these • ?as : ;ahd besides Auckland was the bogey of : onthern politicians, and: any'-ad>antage it ■.-■ 17.'. r as likely to enjoy must thereforefbe legis-v ;~- t ' itcd uipoh and restricted sUt Tof existence. Imputations'v ef---'linov fishermen 1 waited -on ... ■■■■.-..■■ fihiStdrs, who" readily - seized . upon : there* : arto-' evidoiiCb ' offered,-, and consequently , rawhng within Hauraki Gulf was prohibi-,'., : cd, 'and' the poople'of Auckland * have paid ■ . /, ■ ho penalty.'-evil 1 , since:/ For the ,sako ,of ■, f.«.,, onsorvmg' tho' fishones 'for-the benefit of lino • > ■ lahbrmeny-thij-'puoplo daily-iortedv... o'pay : ridiculous* prices'for:-fish. The pro-. iibitidn of-trawling withni-tho. gulf-has not a ■•-: hadow; of - reason to support it except vtlio ... , -v. • ■rbitrarV' decision of a Government Depart- . ncnt-Avhich had' nevcr>aßcortained> the real,-.;; -.{•> , onditions.-■ Away back m the dim past ages . < ; hero was'a belief- that the Hauraki Gulf was ; . lie gl-eat: spawning ground -for tho fish, all . v; ; ilong the-east coast, from--North Capo to y jisborne The idea- has long ( sinco. . been .... r ; ; imploded, and .it is well known now. thnt the spawning ' grounds > are; not/. confined to tho . i ;ulfj but;"oitond;all ,along the. coasts, but . theory was-excuse for: tho framing : " j'f regulation's wliicliAfor 'yoars. have . denied.: <■ , iiifekland ,that,;regular!and cheap fish.supply , it has iyery ::right tor expect, v-:. It- has .. been. ..- . urged l ! that'*. trawling ; c6nld bo conducted ho-.. • fond- tlio gulf .limit,No doubt it .could, but ; -, -.v----bhb.'cost of- the fish'Janded in. Auckland would,. , = ; , . still be too. highland', .outsido .waters could -.. only l bo trawled';in, favourable weather, and . r it~'is : riot-Ukoly, anyone Would bo found.to try fishermen .handi-, cappjxlJift/tlia^.ijray.'.ilcWhat ..has been sug- . ~: gested ;as jr ,a-/fair.;'coiiiprciiiiiso-r-and it would . coikiniyi'fie Vy^^mr,'«^j^miser-w..-to -,-v prohibit .lfawlingV..within;.two. miles, of tho ... land.-';, i Thjs ;; fitill leave to tho lino , fishermen their,-best ground.;, .and an enor- ( mousi.'ar(»i/hecausp: .it is; round 'about tho islands .that .-tho ~hest. patches are . k . madei' ! .Tlip. trailers wbuld.then. bo .able t0..! ... travyl; tho" outer,, and deeper Waters, and pro- , vide grbiter,variety of.fth, while the supply . would bo Vs^ch' that ..prices would necessarily . . v . ,bo industry would-,' '"fclxoii. give 1 emj)loyjtneilfc; to far moro men j. and: would' attain something like the : amongst: " Auckland industries it should djy 'nght be'oecupymgiiouv .It lias BecnC.argybd all'; 'overthe.-, wjorld: that the , . v chcapoiiiiig',;'of 'a' -'supply.-/would; the v labour bniplojed; • .but ha.s always ; proved the casej-'just'as it: did-;\Vh'en machine ; . . looms wore' iiivehtM. Trawling within the . . Hauraki Gillf would, instead of -limiting la- ■ hour,-afford, it larger... and greater opportunity. -■ ■It the' provision of. a coliectiug . boat fitted ....with cool. storage- to .land; tlio;,fish frflm : ,tho fishing, grounds;, intc .... : cool l stbres in Auckland.. It would. ouer lai , ";bett6r 'inarke'tiiig: J f.acilities, «Wlc would>. Un- , . . doubtedlvt cnable; tlie, Auckland pubhc to in- (.- ivcliido fish as a daily; articlo of diet at .a'; - , -moderate'price. " ....