ISLAND BAY FISHING

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 16, 13 October 1933, Page 6

ISLAND BAY FISHING

Improving' Facilities

PROPOSALS TO COUNCIL

Proposals submitted by the fishermen’s associations,'lsland Bay, forthe construction of a fish landing stage and necessary buildings on the eastern rocks at Island Bay were discussed at the meeting' of the City Council last night. The proposals were contained in a report by the reserves committee. The report was held over for consideration of the council and Island Bay residents until the next meeting. The chairman of the reserves committee, Or. J. Burns, said that the reports upon the proposal were almost unanimously in favour of the scheme. The proposal might meet with a good deal of opposition among residents of the bay, and he would ask that copies of the plan and reports should be made available to them in order that they would be fully acquainted with the scheme. The fishing industry had developed, and to-day there were nearly 100 families engaged in it. . It was doubtful whether the council could reasonably get rid of the fishermen from the bay. The question was very' important, said the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, and he considered that every opportunity should be given both councillors'and residents to become fully cognisant of the proposals before a decision was made. He suggested that it should be deferred until the next meeting. He had Seen the plan and believed that the -proposals would to a large extent meet .the difficulties which had not been overcome by other schemes on the same subject which had been before the council on such numerous previous occasions.. ' .The. fishing industry, said'Cr. C. H. Chapman, was established, and it was unthinkable that anything should be done to hinder its prosecution. The present condition of the eastern rocks was unsatisfactory, but the fishermen had come forward with a proposal to remove all causes of complaint. It was quite evident that the residents of the bay were divided on the subject, and some were prejudiced against the fishing industry. Properly run, the industry should be of no nuisance to the hay or to visitors at all. In England fishing activities Were at many places carried out on bathing beaches without complaint. Cr. L. McKenzie expressed himself in agreement with the latter remark. Had not a commission set up by the council recommended that the. industry should be established on the eastern rocks?

Cr. M. F. Luckie explained that the commission, In making that recommendation, had ignored the express direction of the council that the industry was not to be established on the eastern rocks. There would be untold opposition from residents to. the proposal. . . Cr. W. Duncan was of the opinion that some consideration should be given to the question of the fishermen’s boats being moored further out from the shore.

Cr. P. Fraser considered that the fishermen had been unnecessarily harassed by unwarranted opposition, although he thought the point raised by Cr. Duncan was worthy of notice.