Shark

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30129, 13 May 1963, Page 3

Shark

Sir,—Mr W. L. Newman, of P. Feron and Son, appears to be hiding behind a cloud of trade secrets, especially when sub Antarctic shark, commonly known as elephant fish, is regularly quoted in the market reports. This member of tjie shark family is used extensively in the fried-fish

shops and sometimes is retailed under the name of "silver trumpetor." Perhaps your correspondents with a knowledge of fish, could tell interested consumers what kind of fish are called “regs” by trawlermen. One understands that that fish is a shallow-water crab-eating shark which is used extensively in fried-fish shops and retailed as “bream”—a known fresh-water fish. There appears to be confusion in the fish industry and the consumer is further confused by the use of assumed names such as Tasmanian whitebait from the West Coast of New Zealand.—Yours, etc., RIP VAN WINKLE. April 9, 1963. [The manager of P. Feron and Son, Ltd. (Mr M. C. Newman) said: “We do not need to hide behind anything, even a nom-de-plume. Six hundred and forty tons of elephant fish were sold through the Christchurch rnarket last year. All have bden, or will be. appreciatively eaten, mostly as the fish in fish and chips. We understand “rigs” are the spined dogfish (Kainga kirki) but could be wrong!]