HERRING INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 15

HERRING INDUSTRY.

REVOLUTIONARY EXPERIMENT

SPECIAL SHIPS AXD PROCESSES.

LONDON, November 8. The British herring fleet is out at sea and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries is anxiously awaiting the results of an experiment by which it is hoped to revolutionise the whole of the herring industry. With the fleet is a specially constructed vessel which will take on quantities of live fish and freeze them solid into blocks of ice of varying sizes and shapes and weights. These blocks will be taken away by another vessel and sent ashore for experimental purposes.

Having carried out the freezing process, the experimental vessel will start work on with a new frosting invention. This process frosts the fisli, but does not actually freeze it into a solid block of ice. A load of frosted fisli'also Will be sent ashore for resoaroi work. Then work will start on a nc*f gutting and boning process whereby the offal of the fish, together with the bones, are removed by a special machine in one swift operation, leaving only the clean meat to be packed. To Prevent Colossal Waste. The offal will not bo destroyed. It will be carefully preserved and sent ashore, where chemists will use certain of the organs for the manufacture of various medical necessities which at present are purchased abroad. The waste will be converted into liquid fertiliser.

The purpose of ■ the various experiments the vessel will make is to discover a means':of preventing the colossal waste of .herrings each season and save valuable by-products for the country. The herring is not popular in Britain because of the many bones and it is hoped that by offering the country filleted herring at no extra cost to the housewife the fish will become popular.

The object of freezing the fish in blocks of ice in varying sizes and weights is.to find out which will be the most useful weight and size for packing, transporting or preserving, as the case may be.

The frosting process is not expected to be such a success as the block freezing process because of the necessity for boxes for packing, but for storage purposes either method is expected to prove invaluable. Loan if Successful. If experiments prove successful the Ministry, of Agriculture and Fisheries will provide a loan for the building of a fleet of special refrigerator vessels and these will be divided among various fishing fleets. The special ships will collect the fish from the smaller vessels' and treat the catch ready to be sent ashore. This will mean a considerable extension of ■activities for British fishermen. At present fish have to be marketed immediately and those not sold be.come a dead loss. The new process will keep fish in prime condition for over a year and they may be distributed accoi ding to market requirements. _ , The new vessels will cc«t about £40,000 each to build. They will be equipped with a complete hospital to care for injured fishermen. They will also give hourly reports on weather conditions by radio and transmit gale and other warnings. Part of the cost of their upkeep will come from the fishing industry, and the remainder from the various concerns for whom they will render services.