THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1908. ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9094, 21 May 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1908. ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

From time to time the Government have made what may be described as spasmodic efforts to encourage the fishing industry in the dominion. It i<* both ancient and modern history to remark that those efforts ha."e largely failed, indeed it would not be too harsh to aver that they have been a complete failurs. While all round the shores of our greatly naturally blessed country the waters aro teeming with ,iish, yet fish, instead of being an article of common diet, must be placed in the category of luxury. The keenness of a New Zsalander for a fish supper is enough to make the ordinary Britisher smile indulgently. Over and over again it has been asked > why should such a peculiar stats of affairs exist' in this country, and we believe that the true solution to the problem, which is one of great importance to, this country, lies in the fart of the total absence of "fisher folk" in our population. The Israelites of old complained that they could not make bricks without straw—straw was to

them a necessity in the art of making bricks —and to-day it ia absurd to expect that we can have a fishing industry unless fishermen are iengaged in it, in short unless thcsa who know what the work is are encouraged to accomplish it. We notice that a contemporary expresses the wish that the Minister for Marine will invite pressingly to New Zealand those representatives of Scottish fishermen who are now visting Australia. It is one of the incongruities of colonial life that while the seas swarm with fish, and our population have a high purchasing power, it is practically impossible to obtain constant and varied supplies of this good and wholesome food. What is wanted is the placing of our fishing industry upon the same relation to other industries that it occupies at Home. To do this, trawling ought not only to be allowed, but to be encouraged in all open waters outside a reasonable coast-drawn limit, ?nd the immigration of the true British fishing folk should be systematically encouraged. There appears to be at present a urrque opportunity for getting into touch with desirable Scottish fishermen who contemplate emigration, and it is much to be hoped that Mr Millar will not miss it.