PEARL POACHERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 April 1936, Page 10

PEARL POACHERS

Al' STRALIAN REPORTS SYDNEY, April 8. Further reports of poaching on Australian pearling grounds in northern ,valors have been 'received by the authorities. ft was staled that during the past ,'ew weeks, several' foreign vessels had been observed fishing for trochus shells and other marine products on reefs within the three mile limit, and hat two vessels had made night landings on the Australian mainland. On several occasions recently the It nely caretakers on islands between Thursday Island and Cairns, who are isually natives and half-castes, have been terrified by the unwelcome visitors. who have demanded fresh water upplies aiid fuel. These reports follow closely upon he decision of the Commonwealth lovernment to commission within Lite icxt few weeks a motor launch to latrol the north Australian waters be/Ween Darwin and Thursday Island. Should it prove successful other attaches will be built for the Queem.:-

mnd coast. During the past three or four years :..n increasing 'number of reports have reached the authorities regarding the operations of foreign sampans in the northern walers, and allegations have been made that their'crews occasionally landed on sparsely inhabited islands on the Queensland and New Guinea coasts, commandeered shells stacked on the beach, helped them-

selves to stores, and terrorised the inhabitants. Numerous reasons have been advanced for the visits of foreign vessels, and it has been stated that some of i hem have been engaged in opium and drug trafficking with the East, and i hat t hey carry illegal cargo, on their journey to Australia. At the present time there are said to be about 10 large sampans operating off the north Queensland coast.

It has been reported that foreign divers have actually worked alongside native divers employed by Australian companies within our territorial waters.

Seme vessels if has been reported have a working arrangement with the foreign masters of Australian-owned pearling luggers to tranship Io the I foreign sampans beche-de-mer, trochus and pearl shell that should normally be handed over to their Australian employers. The vessels alleged to be trespassing in Australian waters are of about 50 tons gross register, with crews numbering uj) to 30 men. They are about the same size as Manly ferries, hut are practically bare of deck fittings. Each is equipped with about eight dinghies, from which the divers operate, and the captains invariably speak English. Their activities usually range from Thursday Island to the I Elin tiers group, although they often visit the trochus grounds further, south. It is significant that although

Ultv <u L ULiJUtulLiy bCCiI OU tile COU.SI. they never pass the Customs and quarantine authorities in an’ Australian port, nor do they replenish their water and other supplies at a mainland port. The masters of the sampans declare that they work outside the three-mile limit, but numerous cases have occurred of irregular landings on the mainland. A few weeks ago the native swimmers employed by a large company, wiih headquarters'at Thursday Island, worked side by side with the crews

i of two large sampans on the reefs off ; Innisfail. On this occasion it was 1 stated that the poachers picked up all trochus shell, irrespective of size, while the Australian divers are prevented by law from gathering any such shells'with a base measurement of; less than two and a half inches. ■ According to one report, on March 23 a sampan put in at. I-laggerstone Island while the caretaker was absent.' denuded tlie trees of coconuts, and shot a number of goats. 1

Another island in the vicinty has i been visited on several occasions, and the invaders demanded fresh water and firewood supplies from the lonely inhabitant, who was powerless to resist them. Hicks Island was reported to have been visited a few weeks ago. I and the natives- were so terrorised ! that they took to the bush.