TASMANIA’S LITTLE WAR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 31 December 1924, Page 5

TASMANIA’S LITTLE WAR.

FIGHT ON A KETCH. n , 'SYDNEY, Dec. 19. The use of j eiuymsii pots is not merely illegal m Tasmania, but is regarded. as a heinous, attended with 1 dire 'penalties. But crayfish pots greatly stimulate the incomes 01 nsheriolk, and their surreptitious use of the coast is not uncominon. Therein lies the cause of a little war which is constantly waged between the more daring of the fishermen and the water bailitts, and every now and again it results in some exciting incident when the fast boats used iii the illicit work are-pounced upon by the Government .men—-quite reminiscent of the smuggling days. Some of the boats are ■ worth some thousands of pounds, and the knowledge that in addition to other punishment the boat will be confiscated makes the owners exert every artifice and sometimes a little force in defending their property. A characteristic encounter of this little war occurred a day or two ago, the details of which, as described by Water Bailiff Challenger, sound like an exciting incident from Conrad. Challenger had gone to St. Helens, on the cast coast, not in quest of the enemy, hut for the purpose of carrying on further investigations regarding the presence of great quantities of sardines, the canning of which it is proposed to undertake on a large scale. His attention was attracted by what he regarded as the suspicious movements of a ketch along that wild part of the coast. Early in the morning he rowed out to where he had seen the ketch standing off, and he found cravfish pots laid. Having -satisfied himself as to the business of the ketch, he returned to St. Helens, and enlisted the help of Trooner Blair, and after the return of the ketch from, an anchorage further down the coast to the snot at which the crawfish nots were laid, they rowed out with muffled oars—a distance of three or four miles. Thev at once boarded the ketch, whmh they proposed' to seize, and 'aroused the captain. (iThe story as r elated b ,T Ohalloncer appeared in the Star on Friday last.]