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Squid boats off Paroa,south of Greymouth.1972.
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DescriptionWhen we lived just south of Keith Road, at Paroa we frequently saw the Japanese squid boats fishing at night. They were a common sight in the early 1970s. On a clear night it would like a city of lights on the horizon.
They used very powerful lights to attract the squid to the surface, and then a conveyor type belt with rubber fingers would be lowered into the water to lift the squid to the boats. Sometimes we found large glass floats and huge light bulbs on the beach.
On occasion when a squid boat came into the Greymouth port they would be covered in black ink the squid exuded, and festooned with strings of the huge lights. From memory, they only came into port for urgent medical assistance, or other urgent supplies.
Graeme Williams." They were a common site off the west coast of both North and South islands from the late 1950s. Due to their presence, the 12 mile limit was set up and enacted in 1965 when the Territorial Sea and Fishing Zone Act 1965 came into force. This Act extended New Zealand’s jurisdiction from 3 to 12 nautical miles off shore."
Date of Photo1972Map[1] ContributorDon Eadie
They used very powerful lights to attract the squid to the surface, and then a conveyor type belt with rubber fingers would be lowered into the water to lift the squid to the boats. Sometimes we found large glass floats and huge light bulbs on the beach.
On occasion when a squid boat came into the Greymouth port they would be covered in black ink the squid exuded, and festooned with strings of the huge lights. From memory, they only came into port for urgent medical assistance, or other urgent supplies.
Graeme Williams." They were a common site off the west coast of both North and South islands from the late 1950s. Due to their presence, the 12 mile limit was set up and enacted in 1965 when the Territorial Sea and Fishing Zone Act 1965 came into force. This Act extended New Zealand’s jurisdiction from 3 to 12 nautical miles off shore."
Date of Photo1972Map[1] ContributorDon Eadie
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)ParoaOrganisation (eg business)squid boatsEventSquid boats off Paroa.
From Facebook
CommentsCraig Smith
I heard a story about the publican at Barrytown telling non locals it was the lights of sydney
John Webster
they fished all the way down to Haast,back in the 70s
Pam Englefield-Absolum
I remember them well. It certainly was like a city at night.
Teri-anne Bell
We used to see them right along the horizon from our house at 9 Mile on the Coast Road ... was a great sight
Edited
Dennis Gibbs
I remember those things.
Karyn Williams
A common sight we saw staying at nana and grandpops house in Rapahoe ( Alan and Shirley Holmes ) they were light magical fairy lights on the horizon….
Tamai Sinclair
They were still fishing out there in the early nineties, we could see the lights from Hinton Rd.
Lorraine da Via
I was telling a friend about the squid boats lights just the other day ... I grew up in paroa .. traveling home from hokitika at night ..the whole coastline was alight
Janeen Smith
Same from New Plymouth.
Michael Norton
When tramping in Arthur’s Pass we used to pick them up on the Hut Radios. One time we took a cassette player and a Boney M tape. They really enjoyed the show.
Alan Messenger
I worked at the NZ Steel Mining site at Taharoa on the west coast of the North Island in the 1970s 1980s. At nights we saw the Lights of the Japanese fishing boats and their flotsam was washed up on the beach: glass and plastic floats, Jandals, emergency rashions and even six packs of beer!
Murray Browne
Late 70s they were a common sight off New Plymouth.
Colin Harman
Remember seeing them most nights when we would be heading home after spotlighting, they always got closer the later it was
Peter Logan
It was like that on the east coast as well.
Murray Saunders
Yep remember these.
Then it changed from 12m to 200m limit around that time….
Hazel Oldham
I remember these .they lit up the sky I lived at cape foulwind
Jill Greig
We watched them off Ross for years in the 80s ..it was a sight like a city out there
Graeme Vedding
On the Pandora with Conway in73 hand steering from Houhora first time I saw that freaked out I thought we were heading to land had to wake him up
Jim Clark
Yep. It was the same at Westport down south. They were supposed to be outside the 12 mile limit. I can remember giving them a few volleys from the old 303 at max elevation From Cape Foulwind. The range of the old 303 was supposed to be 3 miles so they should have been well safe. Ay
Malcolm Pentecost
Us to we lived across from Beach in Cobden .
Bruce Dando
They liked airmail to.
GIF
Arlene Hutcheon
I remember seeing these fishing boats out from Hokitika Beach, when staying with my grandparents
Angie Quinn
Remember it well. I thought they were Korean?
Kev Rasmussen
Why aren’t they there now,no squid any more.
Geoffrey King
We went out to have a close up look in our jet boat, they asked us for fresh vegetables. We went in to Heveldts ? took a range of vegetables and fresh fruit out and was paid in Saki
Roland Clark
Same in Karamea in 60's and 70's.....the whole skyline would be alight. We would delight in finding floats, bulbs, and grog bottles on the beach.
Roy Bright
we use to see them from our bach at the 17 mile near Barrytown, bits n peices use to wash up from the boats
Ruth Naylor
We used to go up the Denniston Track and watch them.
Troy Dando
All those big light bulbs washing up on the beaches as well. Remember it well
Raeleen Sara
Yes I still have one of the glass fishing floats. A lot of rubbish floated up onto the beaches (Westport area) during that time.
Loretta Donnelly
Remember them well. I think they took pretty much all that was there.
Craig Norman
and while they were doing that. their trawlers completely destroyed our snapper stocks and we have never really recovered from it.
Craig Norman
saw them night fishing off Napier once.
Philip Creed
I remember seeing these squid boats off the coast at Woodpecker Bay, near Fox River, in 1974-1977, after the 200 mile limit legislation was passed in 1978, it was illegal to fish in clos, and they disappeared. Their lights were seen on the horizon and below it, as they were at least 12 miles offshore, due to the earlier 12 mile fishing limit law
Shannon Ford
I remember seeing them from our A Frame House up on the Hill in South Greymouth in the early 80's when I was 6 or 7 and I asked my Dad "what are they?"
He said "that's the Japanese". I guess that started my fascination with Japan and now I live in Japan and often eat Squid!!
Anne Bruce
How to get children to sleep.....those lights are Father Christmas on the way. Go to sleep or he will not stop.
Tania Tones Lawrence
Found a couple of Saki bottles washed up on Cobden beach ☺
Steve Batey
I had to fix 2 front windows on the bridge of one after a big storm, was not a nice experience, the strench...! You could not pay me enough nowadays to even hop on one again... Was disgusting.
David Howe
When i lived at New Plymouth in 1990, there was a huge full moon one night and i drove up to the Mt.Egmont car park. Looking out to sea, all was bright with the squid boat lights, It was an amazing sight. Looking around at the landscape there were gas flares everywhere. Never forget that night.
Chris Sinnott
I was on HMNZS Taupo 75-77, did a lot of squid patrols down the West Coast
Jenny Marshall
My husband told some overseas visitors that they were the lights of Sydney..he was believed. The lights were very visible from our home in karoro.
Graham Piner
Back in the day we had a good view of them on the horizon at the 12 mile
Lillian Munn
I well remember.ber them
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
i remember them too
Edwin Lord
Remember them well when we lived in Cobden
Catherine Carrington
I can remember them from Hokitika all in a line I'm sure the were fishing in our waters then.
It was a real laugh one afternoon going out in a small plan and giving them a fright,I think they though we were some fishing officers .
Antonio Macaronio Kennedy
Why didn’t you chase them away with your gunnery assets
I heard a story about the publican at Barrytown telling non locals it was the lights of sydney
John Webster
they fished all the way down to Haast,back in the 70s
Pam Englefield-Absolum
I remember them well. It certainly was like a city at night.
Teri-anne Bell
We used to see them right along the horizon from our house at 9 Mile on the Coast Road ... was a great sight
Edited
Dennis Gibbs
I remember those things.
Karyn Williams
A common sight we saw staying at nana and grandpops house in Rapahoe ( Alan and Shirley Holmes ) they were light magical fairy lights on the horizon….
Tamai Sinclair
They were still fishing out there in the early nineties, we could see the lights from Hinton Rd.
Lorraine da Via
I was telling a friend about the squid boats lights just the other day ... I grew up in paroa .. traveling home from hokitika at night ..the whole coastline was alight
Janeen Smith
Same from New Plymouth.
Michael Norton
When tramping in Arthur’s Pass we used to pick them up on the Hut Radios. One time we took a cassette player and a Boney M tape. They really enjoyed the show.
Alan Messenger
I worked at the NZ Steel Mining site at Taharoa on the west coast of the North Island in the 1970s 1980s. At nights we saw the Lights of the Japanese fishing boats and their flotsam was washed up on the beach: glass and plastic floats, Jandals, emergency rashions and even six packs of beer!
Murray Browne
Late 70s they were a common sight off New Plymouth.
Colin Harman
Remember seeing them most nights when we would be heading home after spotlighting, they always got closer the later it was
Peter Logan
It was like that on the east coast as well.
Murray Saunders
Yep remember these.
Then it changed from 12m to 200m limit around that time….
Hazel Oldham
I remember these .they lit up the sky I lived at cape foulwind
Jill Greig
We watched them off Ross for years in the 80s ..it was a sight like a city out there
Graeme Vedding
On the Pandora with Conway in73 hand steering from Houhora first time I saw that freaked out I thought we were heading to land had to wake him up
Jim Clark
Yep. It was the same at Westport down south. They were supposed to be outside the 12 mile limit. I can remember giving them a few volleys from the old 303 at max elevation From Cape Foulwind. The range of the old 303 was supposed to be 3 miles so they should have been well safe. Ay
Malcolm Pentecost
Us to we lived across from Beach in Cobden .
Bruce Dando
They liked airmail to.
GIF
Arlene Hutcheon
I remember seeing these fishing boats out from Hokitika Beach, when staying with my grandparents
Angie Quinn
Remember it well. I thought they were Korean?
Kev Rasmussen
Why aren’t they there now,no squid any more.
Geoffrey King
We went out to have a close up look in our jet boat, they asked us for fresh vegetables. We went in to Heveldts ? took a range of vegetables and fresh fruit out and was paid in Saki
Roland Clark
Same in Karamea in 60's and 70's.....the whole skyline would be alight. We would delight in finding floats, bulbs, and grog bottles on the beach.
Roy Bright
we use to see them from our bach at the 17 mile near Barrytown, bits n peices use to wash up from the boats
Ruth Naylor
We used to go up the Denniston Track and watch them.
Troy Dando
All those big light bulbs washing up on the beaches as well. Remember it well
Raeleen Sara
Yes I still have one of the glass fishing floats. A lot of rubbish floated up onto the beaches (Westport area) during that time.
Loretta Donnelly
Remember them well. I think they took pretty much all that was there.
Craig Norman
and while they were doing that. their trawlers completely destroyed our snapper stocks and we have never really recovered from it.
Craig Norman
saw them night fishing off Napier once.
Philip Creed
I remember seeing these squid boats off the coast at Woodpecker Bay, near Fox River, in 1974-1977, after the 200 mile limit legislation was passed in 1978, it was illegal to fish in clos, and they disappeared. Their lights were seen on the horizon and below it, as they were at least 12 miles offshore, due to the earlier 12 mile fishing limit law
Shannon Ford
I remember seeing them from our A Frame House up on the Hill in South Greymouth in the early 80's when I was 6 or 7 and I asked my Dad "what are they?"
He said "that's the Japanese". I guess that started my fascination with Japan and now I live in Japan and often eat Squid!!
Anne Bruce
How to get children to sleep.....those lights are Father Christmas on the way. Go to sleep or he will not stop.
Tania Tones Lawrence
Found a couple of Saki bottles washed up on Cobden beach ☺
Steve Batey
I had to fix 2 front windows on the bridge of one after a big storm, was not a nice experience, the strench...! You could not pay me enough nowadays to even hop on one again... Was disgusting.
David Howe
When i lived at New Plymouth in 1990, there was a huge full moon one night and i drove up to the Mt.Egmont car park. Looking out to sea, all was bright with the squid boat lights, It was an amazing sight. Looking around at the landscape there were gas flares everywhere. Never forget that night.
Chris Sinnott
I was on HMNZS Taupo 75-77, did a lot of squid patrols down the West Coast
Jenny Marshall
My husband told some overseas visitors that they were the lights of Sydney..he was believed. The lights were very visible from our home in karoro.
Graham Piner
Back in the day we had a good view of them on the horizon at the 12 mile
Lillian Munn
I well remember.ber them
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
i remember them too
Edwin Lord
Remember them well when we lived in Cobden
Catherine Carrington
I can remember them from Hokitika all in a line I'm sure the were fishing in our waters then.
It was a real laugh one afternoon going out in a small plan and giving them a fright,I think they though we were some fishing officers .
Antonio Macaronio Kennedy
Why didn’t you chase them away with your gunnery assets
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West Coast New Zealand History (24th Oct 2023). Squid boats off Paroa,south of Greymouth.1972.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 24th Apr 2026 13:06, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/15899