FISHING LICENCE FEES

Southland Times, Issue 22999, 19 September 1936, Page 8

FISHING LICENCE FEES

INCREASE OPPOSED

FINANCE FOR RESEARCH The view that the increase in fishing licence fees provided for in the Fisheries Amendment Bill, details of which were published yesterday, would prove generally acceptable to acclimatization societies was expressed by Mr James Robertson (president of the [Southland Society). The Bill, he said, proposed to increase the licence fee by five shillings, of which amount 2/6 would go to the society concerned and 2/6 to the Government for research purposes. The position was that the finances of the Fresh Water Research Committee depended on voluntary contributions. It had been found that some societies were contributing practically nothing and the whole burden of supporting the committee was being thrust upon a few. At conferences of acclimatization societies, the Southland delegates had suggested that the licence fee should remain at £1 and that 2/6 of that amount should be paid over to research. Thus the fee would not be increased. The majority of the societies, however, considered that they could not afford to pay the 2/6 out of the £1 and thought the proper method would be to obtain the contribution by means of an increased licence fee.

Under the amended Act, explained Mr Robertson, all societies would contribute pro rata according to their fishing revenue and that arrangement seemed fair and equitable. The Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Mr A. E. Hefford) would now direct the activities of the research workers, and he had indicated on his recent visit to Invercargill that the work would be carried out on the same lines as in the past and that the investigations begun would be continued and brought to finality.