OUR FISHERIES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2196, 8 July 1914, Page 6

OUR FISHERIES

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE INDUSTRY?

DIFFICULTIES DISCUSSED

PROFESSOR PRINCF, MEETS THE FISH MEN

Yesterday morning Professor Prince, tho Canadian Fisheries Expert, conferred with a gathering of Wellington fishermen as to various phases of tho industry in this port. The conference which lusted two hours was very interesting, and in a measure, informative. Fishing operations, it was explained to Professor Prince, were, carried on with a good deal of enterprise, the exceptionally strong tides and winds making it impossible to fish on an average for more than four months of tho year. So pronouured were the tides indeed that when tho fishermen tried long-lino lishing a considerable portion of their go.ir carried away. For tlio samo rea,fon their launches, originally from fi to 10 horse-power, had boon increased from 16 to 20 horso-powor, and even now might be increased with advantage. Professor Prince suggested that larger craft should bo adopted, but the fishermen explained that even small steamers had been found to be useless ill a current of from livo to six miles an hour, fishing operations being impcfisiblo in such Kwift water when carried on from a steamer. As much as £50 worth of gear had been carried away when rough weather prevailed. Methods of Disposal, The next subject discussed was tbo methods by which tho fishermen disposed of iheir catches, tho fishermen informing Professor Prince that the general rule was for the fishermen to have a contract with certain firms on condition that the whole of their hauls wero regularly received and sold by such funis. Any other method of disposing of their catches, it was stated, left them at the mercy of the buyers, and when largo hauls woro made the dealers would probably refuse to take more than a small percentage of their fish. J'hoy wero satisfied therefore with tbo existing method of disnosing o f their catches. Kvon tho fish" market established had been at times glutted and fishermen bringiiiß in, say, 150 hapuku would find that tho market only wanted six or seven of the fish instead of taking tho wholo catch. Professor Prince further as.-crtained by interrogation that there seemed to be no method of dealing with surplus eupplies of fish, and expressed tho view that there should ho somo curing or preserving system adopted, h> that fish in excess of the demand would not bo wasted. At the samo time, ho said, he realised that frozen fish was not so much in demand as fresh fish, and it was not desirois to put surplus catches in capacious freezers, as the quality deteriorated. Some other methods of bandlinz tho surplus fish should bo adopted. Tho fishermen admitted that tho retail prices in Wellington were high, but. they could not sugcest any method of reduction, owing to the cost of distribution. Thev pointed iv.it that the ladies of Wellington would, in many cases, not go to the fish market, or eveii take tho trouble to visit tin , retail shops, but required the fish to be delivered, thus adding to the difficulty of distribution. The price paid to the fishermen was certainly no*, excessive, the fishermen asserted, somo of them estimating that they did not rereive on an nvorapo more than ljd. or 2d. a lb. for their fish. A number of the fishermen present, whoso native land wns Italy, referred to tho number of ndible sea' fish which wero wasted in New Zealand, but which were eagerly bought and utilised in other countries, especially alone the Mediterranean. They stated that even such marine denizens as the cuttle-fish and the crab and many either species wero really excellent fowl, but they admitted that the. peonlo of New Zealand could not bo expected to appreciate such fish foods. Rome discussion t<wik nlnce us to the fish called "hake," which is largelv sold in Wellington, and Professor Prince Dfliuted out thnt the public bought tho fish under n mis.inprelieusion, as it w.is not really "hake" at all. lie conceded, however, that the misnomer was of small import, inasmuch as tho fish provided excellent eatimr. At tlio cniiduiinn of thn conference Professor J'rinco Ih.inked the fishermen for information they hnd civen him, which, ho s-iicl, he would find of very material assistance when framing tho repnrt nnd recommendations ho was pre\iiuing for tfio Government, THE FISH SALESMEN. ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INDUSTRY. During tho afternoon the represent.!, tives of tho fish salesmen in Wellington also met Professor Princo. One of tho spokesmen complained that Professor Princo had given tho opinion that tho prico of fish in New Zealand was too high, and they.wished to mako it quite plain that llio industry was not yielding enormous profits, and that it was quite unfair for pii'vono to say that exorbitant charges wero beinn niado for fish. They also complained of what Professor Prince was allciio-J to havo said about municipal markets. They contended that, according to Press reports, tho Professor's recommendations to the Government would prejudice their business, and they wished that conception to Ik> removed. Professor Princo at once stated that so far he had not formulated any repert, and had arrived at no conclusions, and if anything had appeared regarding his opinion such icports wero promill me. The salesmen also thought that an injustice was being dono tho fishermen at their being called upon to pay duty on nets, twine, etc. Professor I'rinco agreed with some of tho opinions expivssod by u speaker who slated that tho distribution of fish by the railways was far from what it should be. It war stated that any other kind of freight seemed to have preforcin-t , lo fish, and consequently there wero delays in handling the fish, which did not tend to improve their condition. Professor Prince thought that this was a matter that should be remedied. He expressed tho view that tho amount of fish sold in New Zealand was far less than should be sold, and there was a great opening for the development of the industry and largely increase:! sales. (Practically all present agreed with this.) It was no exaggeration to claim, he went on, that three times the iiniwint of fish at present dis]>osed of could bo consumed by the people of New Zealand, but ho pointed out that even with such increased sales the market would bo very limited. Canada, with her vast , supply of lish nnd big population could not consume as much fish as tho oily of London. The Canadian industry depended for its existence on tho export trade. There was mi reason why New Zealand should not find markets abroad. In hi* report he intended to deal with the question of outside markefs. Professor Prince nl=n referred r;lnwingly to the big supply of crayfish all round our coasts. These had never been properly utilised nor their value fully realised. There was in those crayfish the possibility <if iusf us bi;j an industry as in the lohsler industry of Canada, which meant a turnover of over a million pounds nmjuallv. l'fl was a great factor in the fish trade, and

the pi/ice war, very fail- jjt C/iMHHIn ;)■«! '. hut-land—novi-r ii.ijvfn ■i:!i-i« ?■s, wt ?,•*. si tun. Here it was (Will' t>iiii(>s WS (|v,IT. 110 did not siM- wh\y it sliowlij fx'^-Vnvtw : : H'iis jusl. as clhmh.' liwt. ,f,s in KnpljLiHl. I he professor ndlfortroii ftilt tJii* lit. jwjr' M>. oil liMi expotfU'it til AVH.ifcf-lifk fpnpi Now Zealand w'ax :i v*r.v Sr.rioiys lujtrrior, and lie <1 it[- mil s»e- \vily lite authorities should not rntoivo k, Srntol:i rly the duly imposed oh tsciir,. tivfiijc,,! nets, hooks, and. 4tti<* fisliiiy;'.r*(i.iffe- '! itos seemed soliicwlial, wiiiist, iimi If representations wcto iitntlo' to r)w flutlioritics something might Iftt (]ff>.i3.t>. to wards miioving tlitiso JiuptvsU. I'Hjally J l'rofessor IVinri: re.frwiSt tn file Sirlra : imposed hy the Jrariw ifcp.wfcnWtiHwi--α-rning certificated ijHisjo.rs. mul oiijruicers, which were- srtld: t,<> bo SeximisK hamporiiiK tlio fohiujj eiiwta'tlnti.s. Ho was indiiK'd to !i<- SaWfiit wliwo nmtliinß cropped tip :<i'f ayju a.dnvmistr. , itn.-> or Departmental Mah.im. Tit- tvou'd consider tlio poiiit \vhM fr»nii(ig. Ms recommendations. This afternoon; Professor JViiroe' is to confer with the JlcrirpSe'HtilliVo.s o! tho Wellington Acclimatisation :S'oi;i(;fe« fn sporting fisli. alvirllng. trout netting and breeding, otfc,