OUR FISH MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1766, 3 June 1913, Page 6

OUR FISH MARKET.

SOME COMMENT. BY MAN IN THE TRADE. Mr. W. Ritchie, who has nearly 40 years' experienco in the fishing industry behind him—3G years in Scottish fishing ports, and a little over four years in Wellington —called at The Dominion office yesterday for the purpose of stating liis views on our Municipal Fish Market "I think I know the fishing industry from'first to last, as well as anyone," he stated. 1 ' "I was brought up to it, and was for thirty years engaged in it in Aberdeen and other places, and I've seen it grow from small things to big. Why, thirty-five years hgo there were only a few yawls engaged in the fishing industry .in Aberdeen, except in the herring season. Such a thing ns a trawler was not known. It was in '7'J | that Peter Johnson, who used to eend whitings to Pari9, thought of trawlers to work out of Aberdeen. Old paddlt steamers from Shields they were, but they did the work and laid the foundation, of the chief industry of the port. They used to empty their hsh out at Point Law, a mile away from port, and there and then it was auctioned to the_ city shopkeepers and dealers. The council and harbour authorities saw the possibilities of it, and erectud markets, which, to my knowledge, have been extended four or five times. Look what this paper says!" With that Mr. Rjtchfe produced a copy of the Aberdeen "Weekly Free Press," of April 12, which stated that on the Tuesday and Wednesday previous all records had teon broken in the matte® of white fish landings. On the Tuesday the total reached 998 tons, and oil tho Wednesday 105G tons—a record for any port in the united Kingdom. The paper says: "Iceland-fished boats were responsible for the major part of the day's tonnage, and this circumstance at once opens up the question' of the immensely important part which this particular trade in Iceland fish plays in tho, operations of tl» fishing industry at Aberdeen. For some years now Aberdeen has been the leading port of landing for Iceland fish, and an entirely new and very extensive branch of local curing trade has sprung up in consequence,. The Iceland fisii are being largely used for filleting, and the development which has taken place in this direction lias been quite extraordinary. Generally speaking, the ultimate destination of these fish is Australia. They are filleted and treated in a particular way in Aberdeen and put into cold storage, undergoing a system of refrigeration. They aro afterwards dispatched to Southampton, where they are put on board ship for export to. Australia."

After quoting this article with a view to showing how an inimenso industry may be built up Mr. Ritchie said, quite frankly, that we were proceeding on. entirely wrong lines respecting our municipal markets.

"I will not call it a market, for it isn't one," ho said. "It is a shop pure and simple, and, being so, it is a failure, and is doomed to failure in the future. It's on tho wrong lines entirely, and they'ro finding it out. The only way to deal with fish is to have all the fishermen and trawlers deposit, their catch at one point, and have it sold under the hammei*. Then everyone has ah equal and even chance of getting what he wants there and then!"

"They Can't Do Without the Middleman." It was pointed out that the municipal market w established to reduce the price of fish by cutting out the middleman.

"Oh, they're reducing the price of fisii all right—that's why they offered me six sacks of fish for nothing last week. I tell you they can't do without the middleman. The wholesaler and Tetailer is just as necessary in - the fishing business as in any other business. There's only one way—to auction it undei tho hammer as is done at one of the city firms every morning. It is nothing for this firm to tell from 20 to 30 tons of fish in a day, but wliat would happen if 20 tons were deposited in the municipal market Why, they would have to givo it away, or send it to the destructor. The public are not going to pay 4d. or 6d. in tram fares to go down to tho City Council's shop and buy enough fish for breakfast.

City Mart Criticised. "On top of that the market is not built right. It is far too small to handle any quantity of fish, and I've never seen a fish market fronting a harbour, with a solid brick wall on the sea-side. That makes it a good breeding place for flies. The wall towards the water is usually bit* sliding doors, i which are kept open all day, and shut, or partially shut, at night, so that the air is always clean and sweet. "There is a chance for developing tho fishing industry in Wellington if the supply were a steady one, ice were made cheaper, and better facilities made for transit. The mails and She fish are the first things handled on the railways wheie I come from, so that the country people can always get a good supply of fresh fish. Trawlers are being sent from England and Scotland to all parts of the world, but none come this way I notice." "Do the Ratepayers Know?" Finally Mr. Ritchie solicits answers to the following questions respecting tho municipal fish market:— (1) What quantity of fish is sent to the destructor from the market? (2) Does the municipal market nay for the destruction of fish at the destmctor as private firms have to do? (3) Why is fish at the market offered to private shopkeepers for nothing if they wilt take it away? (4) Do the ratepayers knowthe real position"' 'of things and what'it is costing them? (5) Do they know that fair prices ai» realised in other markets is sent to the destructor ?