FISH A LUXURY

Evening Star, Issue 20053, 19 December 1928, Page 2

FISH A LUXURY

CO-OPERATION URGED TO MAKE IT STAPLE FOOD * BRINE CHILLED METHOD HON. G. M. THOMSON’S PROPOSALS. . The Hon. O. M- Thomson, M.L.C., has written in the following terms ti. the Dunedin Chamber - of Commerce aru 1 the Otago Expansion League On Thursday, November 15, a conference was held at Port Cbalmon between the fishermen of this harbour, the retail fishmongers of Dunedin ami tho Poi'j,. and a few interested <ersons. with tile object of discussing methods of improving tho. relations existing between these bodies, and ;• morally improving the conditions prevailing in the fishing industry. These ■ conditions have always been very unsatisfactory, and attempts made from time to time to improve them have completely failed Tho spirit of compromise and of working together between employer and employed, between producer and distributor, and generally between sections of tho community whose interests are identical, but who have hitherto been working for their ow hand only, is now recognised as a proper spirit to pursue. P this spirit of co-operation can bo introduced into tho (ishinr industry good must result to the parties immediately concerned, and to the public on whom these parties depend The importance of tho subject is great and tho benefits are so realisable that 1 sire to interest your chamber in it. 1 hope to get also tho co-operation of tho Expansion League, the Otago Harbour Hoard, and the Health Department. Tho Dunedin City Corporation has often had the question before it, and the Government, both directly and through the Railways Department, has also been interested, but no satisfactory solution has yet been reached

The bare facts -<f the position are as follow:-- (!) Fish is a most desirable form of food, both from the point of view of health and of economy. (3) The sea abounds in fish, and theso are readily obtainable m all but bad weather. (3) The amount of fish sold to the public is so small and tho cost so high that instead of being a staple article of diet it is practically a luxury. (4) A largo sum of money goes out of New Zealand every year for imported fish, while very little comes in from exported fish, though this ought to be a considerable article of export. (5) Tho fishery produces a large amount of waste material and offal, the proper utilisation of which should reduce the cost of handling tho food product, while it should also furnish valuable by-products, oil, fish-meal, fertilisei's, etc. At present this waste matter is mostly thrown away, as there is no means of disposing of it economically. (6) New Zealand is

exporting immense quantities of food —meat, cheese, and butter, as well as wool, and is depleting its soil of phosphates, with which it is not naturally too well supplied. The renewal and .eplacement of these is a natipnal problem, and the sea furnishes an inexhaustible supply of such material. The question is "how to obtain and utilise it. (7) Fish is a perishable substance, and must pass from the producer, the fisherman, to the public, who uses it, as rapidly as possible (8) The distance from the fishing grounds to Port Chalmers is very considerable, entailing much expenditure of time and power. (9) The distance from the Port to the city is also considerable, and further adds to the cost. The present method of conveyance by rail is unsatisfactory, and "late arrivals from the fishing grounds are sometimes kept in the trucks all night, suffering serious deterioration and sometimes even total loss of the catch. (10) No provision occurs’ at Port Chalmers for the preserving of fish in cold storage, so that catches which are not rapidly disposed of are liable to bo rendered unsaleable, and have to be dumped or destroyed. These appear to me to be the main facts to bo considered. Hitherto the fishermen have worked along with little organisation. True, they have formed a union among themselves, but its chief object,has been to keep up the price of fish to the consumer. This is done by limiting the amount of groper, the chief fish on this coast, to thirty-six ish per day per boat to the Dunedin market. Apy surplus caught over that number must bo disposed of outsid' of Dunedin. Now. 1 think the whole problem could be simplified and the business put on such a basis that fishermen, salesmen, and the general public would materially benefit, if some such scheme as the following were put into effect;—(l) A receiving station at, say. Port Chalmers, would receive an the fish which fishermen elected to bring to it. (2) Supplies of fresh fish _ for Dunedin and outlying districts would bo forwarded by motor lorry, without any avoidable delay. (3) All bulk supplies, above the daily needs of the trade, and all gluts of fish, which under present arrangements are mostly wasted, would be brine-chilled, and placed in cold store. By this means fish is perfectly preserved; it will keep for weeks without necessitating the use of a freezer, and the market could be assured m regular .supply, irrespective of weather. The price would be steadied both for the fishermen and the public; the former could afford to take a lower price, for it would not bo liable’ to sudden fluctuations as is the case at present. The advantages of using motor lorries instead of the railways are the saving of two or three handlings, and of loss of time both in transit and in delivery. I don’t think the railway people would be displeased to avoid the handling of fish; it must bo a nuisance to them. Brine chilling was adopted in France several years ago. Later the United States took it up, but conservative Britain has only recently gone in for it. It is now recognised as the ideal method of dealing with fish, and on many of the boats which attend on the home trawling fleets, brine-chilling plants are established. The pr. ess is rapid, it does not disintegrate the tissues of the fish as freezing does, and the chilled fish can be stored in a suitable chamber, which need only be kept at a temperature slightly below 32deg Fahrenheit. To carry out sudi a scheme would necessitate an outlay of probably somewhere in the neighbourhood of £20,000. This may seem a large sum, but compared with the importance of the problem it is not so really. All companies which have hitherto tried to go into the fish trade have been under-capitalised. Probably the best way to raise the necessary funds would be to float a co-operative company, and this is a matter to which the public bodies I have mentioned might well give their careful conBideration. I. do not mean in the way of becoming .financially interested. but that they should give their advice and their countenance to the scheme, and commend it to the community which it is intended to benefit. Fishermen, salesmen, and all members of the public who took shares could receive certain privileges and concessions which would make it forth while to join. At the same time I think such a company should not seek to pay large dividends, but should rather reduce the price of flush to the consumers. I need not elaborate the scheme at this stage. My ideas have been placed before the public .on previous occasions, hut though not carried into effect, I two sure they are sound,

and I still hope to see them adopted. The improvement in our food supply and tl’ utilisation of a national sources of wealth which is at present very slightly developed, are reasons why I think you" chamber should give tha subject some attention. I would suggest the appointment of a sympathetic committee to meet with those whr are endeavouring to improve conditions. I do not think we want to lean on the Government in this matter. It is a domestic problem, and should bo dealt with as such. The matter would well stand over till after the New Year, when people are settled down to work again Meanwhile I ask the consideration of the question by all who are interested in the improvement of our living conditions, and m the furtherance of what ought to bo a very important primary industry.