THE FISHING INDUSTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 410, 19 July 1928, Page 10

THE FISHING INDUSTRY

Sir, — It would appear from the statements of the chairman of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society and letters from Mrs. Ruby Watson, that trawlers and seine net fishing boats are responsible for the deterioration and scarcity of schnapper in the Hauraki Gulf and the surrounding islands. Such is not the case. Neither of these good people, by their statements, appear to know that trawl fishing and seine net fishes are two totally different methods of catching fish. These statements are most confusing to the public and give wrong impressions as to the harvest- i ing of this valuable food product. If 1 the conditions these people are trying to impose are given effect to, the cost of harvesting will be greater, and will thus have to be handed on to the con- 1 sumer. It is admitted that trawl-caught fish receive rougher handling and that the trawls damage the sea bottom much more than seine net fishing does Wo propose to deal with the latter method only. The trawl fishermen can speak for themselves. The Auckland Acclimatisation Society in placing this matter before Parliament, is surely interfering in a commercial industry and a valuable Product. Their statements, as published in different papers, show such a lamentable want of knowledge on this important subject that an expression of opinion of the society can—not be taken into consideration when dealing with this industry. Mrs. Rubv \\ atson’s letters betray the same

amount of ignorance In the two methods of fishing. Recent statistics have proved thai round English and Scotch coasts and in the North Sea more fish have beer caught by the seine net in the las-.

three years than previously, this hr been brought about by careful conservation and care in handling fish We fishermen are trying to obtain the same procedure here, and are great!” handicapped by people as above quoted.. Surely a meeting of thee, parties and the fishermen would clewup matters on both sides and probably arrive at a reasonable solution of the problem. We now wish to suggest the real reason for the scarcity of fish. Shellfish are the main food of schnapper and were always to be found on the rocks in these waters, but now are only in limited quantities. Why? Because the action of crude oil refuse ha, been one which has gradually kill*"! shell-fish; we have experimented in this direction and found the depletion of shell-fish on the rocks due to the action of this oil. A good case can he cited in that it has been found that crude or refuse crude oil mixed with paint for ships' bottoms prevented barnacles or shell fish from obtaining a hold on the ship's bottom wi’.ea this mixture was used. FISHERMAN’