Japanese Poachers
p. 24 · Read in the full issue
Position Bad, and Growing Worse
AN accumulated mass of reports indi cates that the activities of Japanese fishing and pearling luggers along the northern coast of Australia, and on the coast of some of the Western Pacific Islands, are growing in volume and be coming more daring in character.
It is beyond doubt that sooner or later there will be a clash. The Japanese are invading Australian territorial waters and, under the very noses of Australians, are taking possession of maritime indus tries which hitherto had been worked by Australians.
There is persistent evidence to show that Japanese, who are resident in Aus tralian towns such as Thursday Island, are co-operating with their countrymen in poaching activities. The local Japanese and the aborigines maintain a first-class intelligence service, with a system of signals, so that it is practically impos sible for the two or three Australian patrol vessels to catch a poacher at work.
It was pointed out in the North Queensland Register on January 2 that
the Australian patrol vessel Larrahia, a fast 45ft. motor-boat based on Darwin, finds her task an impossible one. Her progress along the coast, seeking Japan ese poachers, is signalled ahead by abori gines, using smoke fires, The N.Q. Register says: “The Japanese employed on Australian luggers fraternise freely on the pearling ground with their compatriots in the crews of the 85 oversea Japanese that have been working the beds off the Aus tralian coast during the season just com pleted. It is believed that many of these oversea divers tranship to the Australian luggers for a brief holiday when the local vessels run in to the mainland to replenish oil supplies.”
A well-known resident of Thursday Island, writing to us on January 12, said; “The patrol work required is far beyond the resources now provided by the Commonwealth Government.”
There has been a significant develop ment at Thursday Island. When the pearling luggers are ready to leave the harbour for a drift, they are inspected by the harbour master, acting in his capacity of inspector of shipping. To show that they are ready to leave, the Japanese captains usually hoist the Japanese flag at the masthead. The in spector of shipping has announced that in future .he will not recognise the Japanese flag as a signal that the captain is ready to have his vessel examined and passed as sea-worthy. They must use some other flag or signal. The Japanese are said to have resented these instruc tions, but are complying with them.