Further Price Rise Expected

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30155, 12 June 1963, Page 11

Further Price Rise Expected

(N.Z. Press Association) PALMERSTON N., June 11. "Dr. E. B. Slack, senior lecturer in applied fisheries at Victoria University of Wellington, believes there will be another rise in the price of oysters.

He said today his view was based on simple economics. Oyster gatherers were paid on a commission basis to ensure they received a fair wage. This commission was calculated on the number of sacks of oysters gathered. When good catches were made, the price of oysters was relatively low. On the other hand, the price rose in a poor season.

“Unless something is done soon about the state of the beds in the Foveaux Strait, I can see many poor seasons ahead,” said Dr. Slack. “In effect, we are paying for 50 years of abuse. In all that time nothing had been done to ensure continued supplies of oysters. Why, even last week when I visited Bluff I was told, and with pride.

that Foveaux Strait was the biggest unfarmed oyster bed in the world.

“I think this is a disgraceful attitude to take. Unless science is applied to this problem, it could well be it will become uneconomic to harvest from the strait.”

Cleaning up predators and parasites was not enough, he continued. Such action would be only the first step. After that it would be necessary to apply scientific management methods to ensure the beds built up to strength again.

Dr. Slack said Professor L. Richardson, head of the zoology department at Victoria University, had offered the services of university staff to be applied to fisheries. Dr. Slack said it was his hope the Marine Department and the Government would take advantage of this offer.

The university had sufficient trained manpower and resources to help enormously in straightening the problem out.