Allegations On Fly-Blown Fish

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 14

Allegations On Fly-Blown Fish

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN. May 16.

City Council and Government health inspectors will be called to give evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee on the fishing industry after allegations had been made about fly-blown fish being delivered to Dunedin fish shops.

The report about fly-blown fish had been made to the committee by a representative of the Dunedin Fish Retailers’ Association, Mr E. R. Macdonald, in his submissions to the committee. The chairman of the committee, Mr W. J. Scott, of Lodney. said that if witnesses made statements to the committee they had to be prepared to substantiate them. The president of the New Zealand Fish Retailers’ Federation, Mr A. V. Robertshaw. of Timaru, said there was considerable room for improvement in the handling of fish from the time it was caught until it reached the shops. Mr Robertshaw told the committee that he thought

Auckland was the worst city in New Zealand for fish handling. On the Auckland boats the use of ice often caused bruising and when the fish was unloaded it was emptied out of baskets on to the wholesalers’ floor where it was often walked on and sometimes it remained on the floor until well into the afternoon.

The South Island generally had the climate advantage over the North Island as far as flsh keeping was concerned and Mr Robertshaw thought Timaru was probably the best port in New Zealand for fish handling.

One of the main reasons for this was the close prox. imity of the retail trade to the unloading wharves. Fish caught off Timaru and from Port Chalmers was usually available to the public the day after it was caught. Mr Robertshaw said.