Book of the day: Sword by Max Hastings
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Publishers and military historians don't allow a significant anniversary to pass without offering something new. It is 80 years since VE Day, marking Germany's surrender in World War II. Sir Max Hastings has chosen as his contribution a 'micro-history' of the British army's role in the Normandy invasion of June
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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Please, let us feed you
Pat Nyhon begs to differ with Gwynne Dyer about bottom trawling. I have been fishing commercially for 37 years. I currently fish the southern waters out of Bluff and own a 16m trawler that bottom trawls. We employ three crew and support many local engineering shops and suppliers in our region. I supply fish to two companies, which is both exported and sold fresh in New Zealand. Some landings can be up to 25 different species of fish. You may well have eaten the fish I catch, perhaps from your local fish and chip shop or supermarket. I grew up on farms, but when an uncle who was a fisher took me for trip when I was 16, I fell in love with fishing, because of the freedom you get out there on the water, seeing the wildlife and finding that no two days are the same. But it's a job that comes with many challenges such as the brutal cost of fuel and gear and compliance costs caused by the many rules we have to follow. Another thing that's tough is the constant use of misinformation to shut us down. It can be really troubling to read opinion pieces like the one in the Otago Daily Times the other day by Gwynne Dyer (23.6.25). I understand that Gwynne is a British-Canadian military historian and author who has also worked as a professor and journalist. He's done a lot of things, but I didn't see fisher on that list. Gwynne was celebrating the release of the film Ocean, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough. You will have seen this film getting a lot of attention in the media. It shows the absolute worst-case examples of bottom trawl fishing and says that this fishing method should be stopped worldwide. The issue for a fisher like me is that the film and Gwynne's column are talking about situations that don't hold true here in New Zealand, including here in Otago and Southland. No honest fisher (and I can tell you, most of us are very honest and straight talking) will tell you trawling is perfect. Yes, there was some pretty rough activity in the past, back in the 1960s and '70s when people fished over all sorts of terrain and took as much as they liked. These days, it's a very different story. I have been fishing for long enough to see the changes. Nowadays, we are very restricted in where we fish. And we're bloody careful. We cannot and do not trawl through coral beds. Our nets cost about $20,000, so it would be financial suicide to destroy gear. The areas we trawl have been trawled since trawling was first used and they are flat sandy or mud bottom. The idea that we're somehow running around, letting loose with trawl gear and damaging the oceans is just nonsense in my experience. It's not what happens. There are strict limits on how much fish you can take. That's because of the Quota Management System. A report out of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN the other day said our management systems in New Zealand had given us one of the best sustainability records in the world. It says that 85.5% of all the fish stocks in our area are sustainably fished and those sustainable stocks are responsible for an estimated 95.7% of landings. Most of us have cameras on board these days (except for the really big vessels that have government observers and the really small vessels that don't have the power supply or places to put cameras). The Ministry for Primary Industries has now rolled out cameras on 218 fishing vessels, meaning we have the most cameras on commercial fishing boats of any country. A big challenge for us in fishing is that people can't come out on the water with us every day. If you could come out on my vessel with me, you would see how careful we are. You would see how we stick to our traditional fishing areas. We use modern gear and all our experience to try to avoid capturing seabirds or mammals. I love what I do. I've been fishing for a long time. I want people to understand that what gets me up in the morning is the fact that I am working in a beautiful natural environment, seeing an ever-changing sunrise or sunset and the wildlife at sea. I am also very proud that I am harvesting a food that has no additives, no pesticides and is considered a healthy brain and heart food by many scientists. As a fisher, I ask you and guys like Gwynne, please let us continue to put food on your plate. — Pat Nyhon is a commercial fisherman.
1News
26-06-2025
- 1News
'Close to home': Divers disable WWII mines in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf
The navy has neutralised a set of World War II-era mines found on the seafloor in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckand. According to the New Zealand Defence Force, the mines were laid during the early parts of the war to protect Waitematā Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf from threats posed by the Japanese and German navies. They were designed to be detonated from stations on the shore if the enemy was spotted. By 1944, the Allies were pressing on Berlin and pushing Japan's advances back, meaning the threat of attack had reduced. The mines were decommissioned by remote detonation. But, in the channel between Whangaparāoa Peninsula and Tiritiri Matangi Island, some mines misfired. One of the mines disabled by Navy divers. (Source: Supplied) ADVERTISEMENT "It is believed that during the subsequent clearance by minesweepers, some mines became dislodged from their moorings and, over time, corroded and sank to the seafloor where they drifted with the currents," the NZDF said. In 2014, a Royal New Zealand Navy Maritime Explosive Ordnance Disposal team found and disabled some mines. In March this year, a further five were found in the area, at a depth of between 21 and 28 metres. Over three days this week, navy divers got to work disabling the historical explosives. Marine mammal observers monitored the operation for the presence of whales, dolphins, and other protected species. Navy divers jump in the water to disable the sunken seamines. (Source: Supplied) Divers used low-level explosive charges to crack the mine casings, allowing seawater to disarm the mines permanently. "These carefully calibrated charges are designed to minimise environmental impact and disturbance to marine life," the Defence Force said. ADVERTISEMENT "The controlled explosions, which effectively defused the mines, were barely audible and created no visible disturbance on the surface. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Iran strikes report, stranded travellers land safely, rough weather coming, Bezos' wedding under fire, Kiwi basketballer joins LA Lakers. (Source: 1News) Officer in charge of the disposal team, Lieutenant Warwick Creasy, said the work was dangerous but it was routine for the navy in the Pacific islands, where unexploded mines remained an issue. "But these mines are very close to home, so we wanted to take every precaution to ensure they no longer posed a threat to commercial and recreational fishers, divers, or the marine environment. "The task went exactly according to plan which reflects the intensive training we undertake, careful preparation and the type of extreme care that goes with the handling and placement of high explosives. Job done. Home safe."
NZ Herald
23-06-2025
- NZ Herald
Decades-long search for WWII remains in the jungles and caves of Okinawa
Trekking through mud and rocks in Japan's humid Okinawan jungle, Takamatsu Gushiken reached a slope of ground where human remains have lain forgotten since World War II. The 72-year-old said a brief prayer and lifted a makeshift protective covering, exposing half-buried bones believed to be those of a young Japanese
