FISH SUPPLY

Evening Star, Issue 22347, 25 May 1936, Page 2

FISH SUPPLY

A NEW ZEALAND PROBLEM NEED OF CONSERVATION WARRING INTERESTS [From Our Parliament.*ui Reporter.] WELLINGTON, May . 23. The question of the depletion of the fish supply of New Zealand was referred to by the Minister of Marine this morning, when he emphasised the paramount importance of conservation of the fishing beds. He said that a lot of scientific work had .to lie undertaken before those concerned could get the right perspective. The scino net was undoubtedly an advance on tile old methods of catching fish, hut he could not shut his eyes to the fact that it undoubtedly affected the future supply of fish. The same applied to the trawlers. The latter were excluded from some and the problem that had to be solved was how to keep the balance fairly between tho seine netters’ line and the sot-net fishermen and the trawlers. There were vital interests of livelihood associated with every section of tho fishing industry. There were hundreds of fishermen whose livelihood and the livelihood of their wives and children was dependent on the success of set netting and line fishing. Similarly, hundreds of fishermen and their dependents relied on the success of seine fishing and trawling, and a great deal of capital had been sunk in the various branches of the industry. “ At the back of all these interests, and sometimes they are warring interests, there is the paramount interest of present and future generations of New Zealand people in the conservation of these sources of food,” said Mr Fraser. “ Any action that may be taken must have full regard for this important aspect of the question. It must be the basis from which to start, and it is the starting point adopted by the fishery sectionn of the Marine Department.” The Minister stated that he had been informed that further inspectors were required to carry out the work, properly. Although some correspondents claimed that the present inspectors were not doing their job properly, the bulk of tho evidence available showed that the number of inspectors must be increased and that a certain amount of _ experimental regulation was required.

Referring to the visits of Australian trawlers, Mr Fraser said that involved the question of territorial waters and whether or not there was need to extend these limits. Parliament would be given an opportunity in due course of dealing with the question.

All concerned were impressed by the need for placing the fishing industry on a sound foundation and conserving the source of this valuable supply of food. The question went further than organisation and control of the catching of fish. “There is room for improvement in the marketing of fish,” declared Mr Fraser. “It would not do to have a recurrence of what happened some years ago in Wellington, when fishermen discovered shoals of fish in Cook Strait near a rock now known as Fishermen’s Rock, and when, after hauling up hapnka as fast as they could for an extended period, the quantity of fish glutted the market to such an extent that the price fell to an abnormally low level and made it impossible for the fishermen to carry on under those conditions.” Mr Fraser said that the fishermen were among the most hard-working men of New Zealand, and he referred to the dangers that accompanied their work. Anybody who travelled across Cook Strait, for instance, at the weekend could see the lights of the fishing fleet dancing on the rough waters, and during bad weather there was the possibility every minute of those engaged losing their lives in their hazardous occupation. “ They have to face the rigours of climate and the other hardships of their calling,” added the Minister, “ and they are entitled to an income that will give them an adequate return for their work and the risk involved; but behind all these considerations is the need for conservation of the fish supply for future generations.”-