HAURAKI GULF FISHING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5173, 2 September 1927, Page 3

HAURAKI GULF FISHING.

PROTECTION, OF LIMITS. OHINEMURI COUNTY’S STAND. At yesterday’s meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council a change from roadside drainage, farming, and mining matters was introduced by a letter from Mrs R. E. Watson, Auckland, who wrote stating that a further protest was being sent to Parliament urging for measiures to close the Hauraki Gulf as being the only remedy which would safeguard the fisheries. The council was asked to support the movement by forwarding a resolution endorsing the protest. The chairman (Cr. H. M. Corbett) said that the matter had been held over from the August meeting, in the hope that councillors would become more familiar with the matter. Cr. A. R. Robinson said that no doubt, if the practice was allowed to continue, many of the Thames fishermen would be deprived of a living. He did not know a great deal about the subject, but was inclined to support a favouring the prohibition of trawlers operating in the, gulf. The small man’s living should be safeguarded as far as possible. Cr. F. C. Hubbard said it was to the detriment of line fishermen in neighbouring counties to allow trawlel’s to operate in the gulf on wholesale lines. The fisjli had greatly di-

minished in the gulf lately, and he thought the council was justified in supporting the request, with a view to having the matter thoroughly tfirashed out. The same view was shared by Cr. J. B. Morris, who stated that the Hauraki Gulf should be preserved for line fishermen. He was quite’ familiar with the fishing grounds, and mentioned that he was strongly in favour of the gulf being prohibited to trawlers. A resolution to this effect was carried.