INFECTED SHELLFISH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 22, 9 November 1943, Page 5

INFECTED SHELLFISH

THE MAORI VIEWPOINT * GREATER EVIDENCE REQUIRED SOURCE OF STABLE FOOD The local Maoris are consid- • erably disturbed at the action of the Health Department prohibiting the taking of shellfish from the Whakatane River and as a result of several meetings ~iri the settlements most directly concerned, Mr Joe Creeke has once again undertaken to act as spokesman for them with reference to what has been regarded as a stable food supply for centuries. In an interview with the. BEACON \'yesterday Mr Creeke said that on reading the evidence submitted by the local inspector he learns that the. chances of the shellfish being Infected are based on presumption— which is tantamount to being possible, or taken for granted), without -Jiny direct substantiation to support, the surmise of the local Health Oft ficer. From Time Immemorial From time immemorial, said Mr •Creeke, the Maori had regarded shellfish as part, of their stable food, and liad gathered and eaten pi pis, for past, right up to the. j>rc,sent day. They stated definitely there had never been any epidemic typhoid in this district and as .■far _ as- the Maori people are con-' cerned they are more or less free Jioni the disease in their pahs. The records for the district, and more -especially the Whakatane Borough .should be prohibited when the danger of typhoid lever is causing con•cern among the people. if all eases are based on such evidence, all rivers and harbours, not «only in New Zealand but wherever all over the world, the shores are settled* the gathering, of shellfish should be. prohibited. "May I' submit my observations a* I found, the question in Wellington," he. continued "where all the surface drainage and the discharge from the conveniences from the shipping are. emptied into the harbour, and where the harbour frontages are thickly populated. No such notices are posted restricting the. gathering of shellfish from Oriental Bay, and the Head •ol Evans Hay, where cockles and .mussels and other shellfish are gathered for food. The step recommend" •ed by our local Health Officcr appears most drastic, in spite of the fact that the Borough of Whakatane is almost entirely free from this dis-t-i;; s c\. No Local Cases In our discussion on the subject ;it a Borough Council meeting while the local Health Officer was, present, I asked the question if any cases of typhoid ever occurred in the Borough of Whakatane. His reply was that there had been no record during his term of office. As far as we know there have been no such cases known for the past 20 or 150 years. Surely we have a right to ask' for Jrore definite evidence bearing on this most important question before taking such drastic action on one -ol the Maoris chief food supply. "Having gone so fa if" he added, "it is - only right to urge, on our local health adviser some preventive means. He states the Whakatane River is polluted, with sewerage from many premises. I should' say ;ii. is his duty to bring such cases under the notice of the Council for ■ consideration. During my term on the Borough Council 1 cannot recall -any such subijcct being submitted. .Surely the local bodies arc entitled to review these matters before taking final steps to prohibit the taking of shellfish altogether. In such important matters what i > wanted is not. so much drastic ac-i lion, but a little more careful con- | sideration. More action in the prevention of fouling the river, if you iike> a little more prosecution against the offenders and l : am sure. this v.ould go a long way towards keeping the river free from pollution.. I BOROUGH NOT NOTIFIED j DESCUSSION LAST EVENING At. the meeting of the Borough Council last evening Cr J. Creeke asked the Mayor if the Council had ;il any lime received a report on the pollution of the river which held the shellfish bexls involved. Mr Barry replied that never lo his knowledge had. any such notification been received. The correspondence seemed to have been sent (Continued at foot next column)

1) tin- County Council for sonic reason or another. The Deputy-Mayor said that there ■\vas no crude sewerage drained into the river from the Borough. Cr Sullivan: The pollution of the liver commences many miles above the Borough. ,11' you go ux> there you'll see it. Cr Creeke: Has there ever been any ease of typhoid ever reported to this Council. The Mayor: Not that I know of!