FISHING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 74, 25 September 1945, Page 5

FISHING INDUSTRY

REASON FOR DE-LICENSING

Why was the fishing industry delicensed, and would there be more fish as the result? were questions put to the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr. Sullivan) when the 'Estimates of his Department were under discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday. The discussion was opened by Mr. W. Sullivan (National, Bay of Plenty), and he was answered by Mr. J. Thorn (Government, Thames), who said that supplies were dependent on the number of trawlers. There had been a good increase last year because the Navy had returned two trawlers to the fishing industry. As for the licensing of the fishing industry, Mr. Thorn said he did not think the Government's experience had been altogether happy, and licensing had now been abandoned. The Minister of Industries and Commerce said it had never been the Government's intention to license the fishing industry permanently. "As a matter of fact," he said, "I have never been keen on licensing the distributive industries, and we have only one or two left, such as pharmacy." Mr. W. Sullivan: Is the Minister running away from licensing? PRE-WAR POSITION CHAOTIC. The Minister stated that before the war, the fishing industry was in a chaotic condition and representations were made to him that in order that it could be properly organised to give everyone a living, the industry should be licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act. Though at first declining, he agreed, and he anticipated that there would be difficulties and "headaches"—and he had experienced all of them. But the industry was put on a reasonable footing as the result of the help it obtained by the licensing system. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland): Then why did you de-license the industry? The Minister: The objective of licensing had been achieved, the industry was on a sound footing, and I thought it time that someone else had to do with the difficulties and the headaches associated with it. Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford): I hope we will get some fish, because as the result of the licensing system we got none at all.

"Mr. Thorn: That's nonsense. Mr. Poison retorted that in his town there was no fish for two or three months. The Minister: The ordinary working people accepted that as a war sacrifice.