THE PRICE OF FISH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16484, 25 February 1914, Page 7

THE PRICE OF FISH.

WHY IS IT SO HIGH? " OPINIONS OF LOCAL FISH BUYERS. New Zealand’s shores must surely abound in enough fish to more than supply the wants of the public, yet there is an almost persistent scarcity of fish,, and this season#has been something more than ordinary in this respect. In Timaru, it is staled, fish h being obtained from Dunedin, though usually Timaru supplies its own wants with its fleet of fishing boats. Yesterday a “Lyttelton Times'’ reporter called upon one or two local fish buyers, and asked them for the reason of the scarcity. “I really don’t know whether there is a scarcity or not,” one man said. “ The supply find sale of. the fish are all controlled by one market in Christchurch, and it is difficult to find out whether, there could be a more plentiful supply, but I am not at all satisfied with the way, in which the sales are conducted. AN INSTANCE. ' : 1 “Only last Saturday morning,” he continued, “there was a very glaring instance of the manner in which the supply is kept back. A large consignment of groper came down from Kailcoura, and only about half of this was offered for sale on Saturday morning; it brought about £3 a case. The remainder went into the freeding room'. That is the kind of treatment wo have to put up with. The people want cheap fish, and we are powerless to give'it to them', becauso of the way in which the fish i 6 treated by, those who have such a big control over it.” MUNICIPAL MARKET URGED. .“There is no doubt,” he went on to say, “that a solution of the whole trouble could be found in a municipal fish market. The public seem to flunk that we are against such a proposal, but I can assure you that there is nothing we would welcome more. The prices of fish have been gradually brought up tq.a very high figure, and groper,, for which four,or five years ago 1 paid 3s each, now cannot bo bought for less than 7s to 10s each. In every other way, we are completely at the beckand call of the persons concerned in the only market in Christchurch. SEA FULL OF FISH.

“ Do you think there are plenty of fish round the New Zealand coasts?” the reporter asked another fishmonger. “ Wliy, in a hew country, such as this is, there must he, and I know for a fact that there is more than we could use. I wonder that the people put up with the charges for fish, but 1 would just as readily sell it cheaply as at the present dear prices. With the supplies which we have at our doors practically we ought to be able to sell it at about 2id per lb, but as it stands at present wo have to charge about o.)d per lb. I import a good amount of fish on my own account, but 1 have to fall back on the fish from the Christchurch market, otherwise I -would'lose trade;” “ Would you favour a municipal market?” he was asked.

“Well, I would be glad to see any change from the system which is in existence at present,” was the reply. “A municipal market. would make a great. difference, and-it is clear something ought to be done. I am sure that ’we would have a better supply than there is at present, and the prices would be much cheaper. EXPORTED BLUE COD.

“The way in which the smoked blue c-od is exported out of this country has the effect of draining the local market. You can hardly get a smoked blue cod except at a very high price, because it all goes to Sydney, Melbourne and other Australian cities, where it is greatly in demand, being esteemed a delicacy, and consequently fetches a high price. To my mind I think the duty that is at present put on blue cod exported from the country shouiU be raised so that more of it should be kept here for local consumption. I have spoken to those concerned several times about this, and if nothing is done, 1 am going to approach some members of Parliament to see if they cannot bring a, little pressure to hear, and remedy what I think is a great injustice to the public-.”