PEARLING INDUSTRY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 41, 24 May 1935, Page 6

PEARLING INDUSTRY

JAPAN'S BID FOR CONTROL.

STRONG FLEETS AT WORK

Japan is making a strong bid for the control of the pearling industry, which, since it was begun 50 years ago, has been principally in the hands of Australians. Japanese divers trained in the Australian industry, have formed the nucleus of a powerful Japanese pearling fleet, which works all the pearling grounds round the coasts of North Australia and in the Dutch East Indies throughout the year. The Japanese have built luggers twice the size of the Australian boats. They stay at sea for long periods up to almost a year, and receive their supplies from mother ships.

The mother ships take the mother-of-pearl shell to ports for shipment, and leave the luggers free to continue their operations on the pearl shell beds. The Japanese are perfectly within their rights in fishing the pearling grounds, most of which are. outside the territorial limits, but frequently the boats touch the coast; mainly for water supplies.

SEVENTY BOATS IN SHELTER

At present the pearling fleets, Australian, Dutch and Japanese, are working on pearl shell beds' off the

Aru Islands, a Dutch possession about 300 miles north of Australia, because these beds are the most easily worked during the monsoonal season. On a trip which the Darwin correspondent of a Sydney newspaper undertook on an Australian mother ship, he came upon the pearling fleets, about 70 boats in all, anchored behind one of the Aru Islands for shelter. There were about 20 Australian, 20 Japanese and 30 Dutch luggers. The Japanese boats were larger and more recently built than the others.

In conversation the Japanese said that their base was in the Pelew Islands, over which Japan had a mandate, and that the boats were specially built in Japan. They came to the grounds equipped for at least six months' stay. One of the boats was equipped with a special tank, in which mother-of-pearl oysters were kept alive. It was thought on the pearling grounds that the Japanese were endeavouring to grow their own pearl shell beds.

SUGGESTED PATROL BOATS

With the exception of a few Malays, all the divers in the pearling industry on, Australian and Dutch boats are Japanese. They know the pearling grounds as well as the European owners of the fleets, and have a thorough knowledge of the coasts. New Japanese boats are appearing on the grounds every year. The Japanese say that they are privately owned by the divers, but Aus-

tralian and Dutch pearlers say they consider that strong financial interests are behind them.

With the increased Japanese activity on the pearling grounds, it is thought by responsible people in North Australia that there is urgent need for Australian Government patrol boats in North Australian waters. Reports are constantly being received' of mysterious boats which are shy of contact with Europeans. Japanese indentured in the Australian industry are extraordinarily honest, well-behaved and polite.