PEARL FISHERS' TRIALS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 April 1935, Page 10

PEARL FISHERS' TRIALS

RAIDS BY JAPANESE THURSDAY ISLAND FLEETS SUSPICIOUS- PRACTICES

Some of the trials of those engaged in the pearl-shell industry on Thursday Island, in Torres Straits, were described by Mr S. W. Newman, a Thursday Island engineer, who is spending a few days in Christchurch on his way home to England. The pearl fishing industry, according to Mr Newman, is faced with an extremely poor market, and with a growing Japanese lab : our problem. Thursday Island is a very small community—there are about 250 European residents and 750 natives —and the island relies entirely on maritime pro-

duce, mainly mother of pearl, trochus shell, and beche de mer. The pearlshell industry, faced at the present time with a very low market, is further handicapped by the incursions and depredations of Japanese sampans, and by the rather suspicious practices of the Japanese labourers employed by island firms.

UNLICENSED SAMPANS The pearl-shell boats owned on the island are largely manned by Japanese. An average lugger (of about 50ft) has a crew of two Japanese divers, two Japanese tenders, a Japanese cook, pnd perhaps two island or Malayan boys. The Japanese divers and skippers are hard-working men and they are very skilled at their work. Mr Newman thinks that it is on this account that the fleets are so dominated by Orientals. It is suspected, however, that some of the crews ar6 defrauding their employers and agents on the island by passing over quantities of shell to Japanese sampaps which ply- through the pearling beds. Many of these men have landed themselves in debt, and their employers have no chance of collecting their dues. Experiments have been tried with European skippers, but the life is so arduous and at times so unprofitable that few men can be expected to stand up to it*

The greatest difficulty facing the industry at present, however, -was described by Mr Newman as the raiding of unlicensed Japanese sampans The pcarl-shellers on Thursday Island have to pay income and unemployment ;ax, and they are required.to take out licences to fish. Moreover, they are liable to prosecution if they take shell below a certain size.

BEDS BEING SPOILED Japanese divers, however, unlicensed and unbidden, are invading the pearl waters, paying nothing and taking shell of any size. Mr Newman said that they are really spoiling the beds. All the Government has done up to date is to promise a patrol boat, but in view of the very great length of the coastline, Mr Newman thinks that, one patrol will be of little use. The presence in Australian waters of these unlicensed sampans makes it possible, too, that Jaapnese are getting into the Commonwealth without passing the Customs or quarantine. As if the trials of the pearl-shellers were not great enough, the bottom has fallen out of the market. Prices are very low and in many cases the only advantage in continuing the fishing is to keep the luggers in working order. Two stations on the island have sent their Japanese crews home, as they consider it ridiculous to employ them longer at a loss. Mr Newman feels that the idea behind this move is the substitution of the Japanese with other crews.