PEARL POACHERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18991, 16 April 1936, Page 10

PEARL POACHERS

FOREIGN VESSELS ' AUSTRALIAN' WATERS LAUNCH PATROL PLANNED SYDNEY, April 8. Further reports of poaching on Australian pearling grounds in northern waters have been received by the authorities. It was stated that during the past few weeks, several foreign vessels had been- observed fishing for trochus shells and other marine products on reefs within the three mile limit, and that two vessels had made night landings on the Australian mainland. On several occasions recently the lonely caretakers on islands between Thursday Island and Cairns, vvh.o are usually natives and half-castes, have been terrified by the unwelcome visitors, who have demanded fresh water .supplies and fuel. These reports follow closely upon thedecision of the Commonewalth Government to commission within the next few weeks a motor launch to patrol the north Australian waters between Darwin and Thursday Island. Should it prove successful other launches will bo built-for the Queensland coast. During the past three.or four years an increasing number of reports have reached the authorities regarding the operations of foreign sampans in the northern waters, and allegations have been made that their crews occasionally landed on sparsely inhabited islands" on the Queensland and Now Guinea coasts, commandeered shells stacked on the beach, helped themselves 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 thorn have been engaged in opium and drug trafficking with the East, and that thqy carry illegal cargo on their journey to Australia. At the present time there arc 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 oompanies within our territorial waters. ISLANDS INVADED. Some vessels, it has been reported, have a working arrangement with the foreign masters of Au3tralian-owned pearling luggers to tranship to the 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 up to .10 men. They are about, the same size as Manly ferries, but are practically bare of deck fittings. Each is equipped with about eight dinghifs, from which the divers operate, and the captains invariably speak English. Their activities usually range from Thursday Island to the Flinders groups, although they often visit the trochus grounds further south. It is, significant that although they are frequently seen off the coast, they never pass the Customs and quarantine authorities in an Australian port, nor do thoy 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 inaiDland.

A few weeks ago the native swimmers employed by a large company, with headquarters at Thursday Island, worked side by side with the crews of two large sampans on the reefs off lnnisfail. On this occasion it was 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 or less than two and a-half inches. According to one report, on March 23 a stimpan put in at Haggerstone Tsland while the caretaker was absent, denuded the trees of coconuts and shot a number of goats. Another island in the vicinity has 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, and tho natives were so terrorised that they took to the bush.