CRAYFISH

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 149, 27 June 1933, Page 12

CRAYFISH

ENGLISH MARKETS

NEW EXPORT TRADE

For many years the pursuit of crayfish has been an industry carried on at many points on the New Zealand coast, although, compared with other branches of fishing, this branch has been of relatively minor importance. In the larger towns there has always been a steady but limited demand for this kind of sea food. Incidentally, it, has a special value as being particularly rich in iodine. Vrom time to time in certain places, especially in the South Island, crayfish have been packed in pans, but the piayn'sh industry lias never been iif substantial importance. h\ the last twelve months a demand for this product has arisen in ,the Home market, and there is apparently every' prospect of a steady export trade from JS'ew Zealand being developed. Only I rhe tails, consisting almost entirely of ihe palatable wltfte flesh, which both taste- and look, so delectable in a "lobster" salad, is used for export. It would.appear that this is proving to be a popular —possibly because cheaper —substitute .for the, lobster proper,, which has, for; so long'been the most, highly prized;crustacean food consumed in .England. Lest anybody should think ho can make a fortune in this way, it should be -pointed out, according to tho authorities, that it is absolutely essential that crayfish for export should be frozen, when quite fresh, by tho best possible methods, and that the packing and conditions of shipment should leave nothing to be desired. Several' hundreds, possibly thousands, of cases have already been shipped to London. One of tho requirements of the English importers is that the tails must be neatly removed from the crayfish when perfectly fresh, and without any part of the carapace- or the head being attached to-the tail. The tails must be perfectly clean, and tho exposed part of the flesh kept quite white. They should-be frozen at the lowest possible temperature, and by the most rapid method possible. They are to be packed in - grease-proof paper, and in three sizes—large, medium, and small. Uniform-sized cases holding about 321b are specified. These cases are sold as 301b net. At no stage before the time of arrival in,-London should the temperaturo be allowed to Tise above 10; to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. In view of this development, the question of the conservation of supplies is a matter that will require attention on the part of the authorities in New Zealand. Up to the present no restrictions whatever have been gazetted with regard to this fishery, presumably because the crayfishing operations have never been very intensively carried on except possibly in proximity to ' large I centres of population.