FISH SUPPLIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 99, 17 August 1943, Page 5

FISH SUPPLIES

FINDING OF RECENT INQUIRY STATEMENT TO PRESS A statement to the press following a recent all day enquiry sponsored; by the Auckland Provincial Fisheries Advisory Committee at the request of the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce relative to the local fish supply, has been made by the •secretary, Mr E. D. A. Herrick. The statement reads: — The Whakatane Chamber of Gom•r anerce being concerned with the position of the fish supply in the Bor- • «ugh and district, asked for and obtained an enquiry by a representa- ' tive of the Fish Advisory Commit- ' tee. A full day conference was held in Whakatane to discuss the position with a view to arriving at a -satisfactory solution of the problem, •the Advisory Committee being represented by Mr E. W. B .Herrick and the Chamber of Commerce by Messrs C. F. Thonuvs, J. Creeke and ' T. Cummings. Evidence was taken from Mr P. Coults, tlio captain of "the trawler, and Messrs P. Smaljon, O. Olscn and N. CartorThe main causes contributing to the acute shortage were, firstly, the general shortage due to seasonal conditions, (Auckland landings for year ending 31st March, 1943, were over - million pounds less than in ttlit? same period, 1941) secondly, the requirements of the Armed Forces inside and outside of New Zealand, and thirdly, the inability of one seine, netting trawler to copc with , .the district requirements. 'Hie general feeling of the confcr'cnce was that it was not. possible ! for the Wholesaler to distribute his landings in accordance, with the con- • ditions of his. license due to special -arrangements having to be made relative to payments to members of the crew of the trawler,, ma'king the ■ cost of fish landed higher than elsewhere. It was unanimously agreed between the parties that a recom;«iendation be forwarded to the Bur«eau of Industry along the following lines:— "That the wholesale license at present be continued but with the following provisions—that any licensed retailer be entitled to fish or cmploy licensed, fisherman/fishermen to •catcli any fish he requires without the necessity of the catch going -through the wholesaler, the whole-. ,-saler to take care of excess, landings, if any, during the flush period." The conference was unanimously -of the opinion that this was the •only solution of the problem at the present time, and was the only -way to give liberty of action to all those concerned.