FISHING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 60, 8 September 1934, Page 11

FISHING INDUSTRY

EFFECT OF THE TIMES ALTERED METHODS The effect of the- financial depression on the fishing industry in New Zealand is dealt with by the Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Mr. A. E. Hefford), in his annual report presented to Parliament yesterday.

"A general review of tho conditions reveals how the financial stringency of the times has had its effect on the fishing methods employed," he states. "The personnel of the industry contains a large proportion of recruits who followed other occupations prior to tho slump. Thero are for the most part dinghy.or shore fishermen who fish very intermittently and whose catches, being hawked locally, are not usually ineluded in our returns. ' A diminution in the employment of fishing vessels of Iho highest class as "regards capital value as well as fishing power and working expenses is shown in the further decrease in the operations of deep-sea trawlers, apparently brought about by the 1 fall in prices. In 1927 six steamtrawlers of the North Sea type were in practically continuous commission. This year though three vessels of this type were based on Auckland, it was only for a very short period, that as many as two were in operation at the same time, and only one steam-trawler worked from Wellington. Other steamers engaged in .trawling from such ports as Napier, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers are small converted vessels originally built for other work and not to be classed as deep-sea trawlers according to the standards of the Northern Hemisphere. Considering that the large trawlers kept several hands in employment and consumed 1 coal produced by. New Zealand labour, and, moreover, kept the markets supplied with fairly uniform amounts of mixed fish, it is a matter for regret that their activity has shown a decline. On the other hand their fishing power had certainly been such that with a limited area of ground available for exploitation there was some danger of depletion from overfishing. , Visits of both steam-trawlers and Danish-seiners to inshore grounds fished by local line fishermen have given rise to complaints and protests from various districts. The difficulty is that practically all the best fishing grounds are comparatively close to the land and must be exploited by the more intensive methods if supplies of fish to tho larger ports aro to be maintained. Thero is, moreover, the additional problem of keeping a proper surveillanco over "prohibited" areas for which our fisheries protection organisation is already inadequate and indeed in most districts non-existent.

DANISH-SEINING INCREASED. '''While steam-trawling has declined, Danish-seining has increased and developed. In the early days small motor-launches, of about 35ft in length were generally employed for this fishing. In tho last year or two several bigger and more seaworthy vessels havo been specially built, with a wider field of operation and the ability to work in weather which was formerly regarded as impossible. Moreover, the installation of ,Dioscl engines in place of tho benzine or petrol consumers of a few years, ago has effected marked economy in propulsion and has also extended their rango. Some .trawling and line-fishing vessels have also added to their efficiency aud economy by the same change. , ■,,,.; "Generally speaking, tho Danishseiners aro decidedly the most efficient and productive of all .fishing vessels in the Dominion. In the Auckland vicinity considerable restrictions have been imposed on their operations by closing certain areas to this method of fishing, and there is at least ground for believing that it may bo advisable to limit their operations in inshore waters off other parts of tho open coast. Owing ■to tho limited market there has,boon a considerable amount of voluntary restriction of fishing in tensity in the last two years. At the same time./ however, the low price of fish or increased scarcity has induced more . of the most enterprising fishermen to take up this method of fishing. Unfortunately, a comprehensive appreciation .of the situation has been prevented by the lack of statistical information to which reference has already been made. Snapper and flounder on .the Auckland fishing grounds and flounders and other flatfish on the Nelson and Canterbury fishing grounds are the kinds most sought after and most affected by. this method of fishing."