NEW FISHERIES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18237, 22 November 1924, Page 14

NEW FISHERIES.

CANNING IN TASMANIA. From Our Own Correspondent. SYDNEY, November 13. Remarkable evidence regarding the vast' shoals'of spj'ats, ■ pilchards and anchovies, which'may, be canned, as is usual as / sardines or silds, has been obtained by Professor; Flynn, of the Tasmianian University, with the financial aid of the State Government, and it is now practically certain that early steps will: be taken to found a canning industry on the east coast of the island fetafce. It is p'oilited ou't that Australia annually imports some hundreds of'thousands of pounds worth af these canned fishes and has hitherto been entirely neglectful of the incalculable quantities which at regular tifiies'' each year swarm over certain areas around the coast. It. „is considered that the most suitable place for the founding of the industry will be at, or ,near, St. Helens, on the east coast, and it is proposed to take advantage of the new Imperial immigration scheme, so that-families' experienced. in fish-can-ning will be brought under the scheme and setttled on the'east coast. The particular locality jiltimately selected will be the result of a decision 1 of experts. It is proposed that steam drifters will 'be- used for taking the fish.

The matter has been taken up by an official. and very energetic .bodv known as the State Development Board, which, armed wih the data furnished by Professor ' Flynn's investigations, • has obtained - an ■ assurarice- of ; tariff protection during the expensive period of establishing tho industry. To show how long the known possibilities of such an undertaking have'been neglected it ■is • recalled that as long ago as 1892 a Royal-. Commission. on fisheries for Tasmania reported that "The sprat and pilchard exist in oui' waters in vast shoals. They sometimes ascend ■■'the*—Derwent and Tamar, and occasionally have been known to be strafided'in "millions. No donbt attention will, in time be drawn to this- valuable source of wealth. It. is not creditable to local enterprise that this source of wealth should have remained so long without an attempt being made to utilise it. lii the Southern and Eastern waters, of Tasmania abound shoals of sprats, anchovies,, etc., but the proper appliances for their capture do not exist, and hence no attention is paid to this invaluable source of wealth. Large shoals of sprats and anchovies are known to appear on our coast regularly. In time this source of wealth may be open to us. At present," wantr of knowledge and possibly want, of .entenil'ise, " operates against this valuable source of supply. That these possibilities exist undiminished is fully proved by the evidence presented to Professor Flynn.

certificate by next parade, or he, would surely make the acquaintance of the local beak. His position was theii clearly -cjiarted ;is being niid-way between Scylla and C-haryjxlis. As I do not know the local Magistrate (that is not yet) he might misunderstand me if - I-boldly stated "between the devil and. deep sea." " ' Well,- the lad got his certificate, stnd —here comes ; the crux—shortly after the doctor's .account for ten shillings. A complaint'is made to> the Minister, and he replies that a cadet requiring an exemption certificate must, secure this at"-his. own expense. This means that at.'a time of life when a sum of ten shillings—to the schoolboy, the junior: clerk, the apprentice—is ten shillings each may have to be so penalised ;bv reason, of a military measure framed to render this fair country immune from enemy molestation by land, sea, suid air. And not once only, but for umpteen years I The Government is too mean to tell, off a qualified medical man. for the ; job • aijd, prefers to. res6rt t to'what ap-. ,'peartf to' me" to be robbery'm' a pure; and' unadiUterat?d f&ra.—Yours,' ete., :i i H.G.