Auckland May Be Short Of Fish

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30768, 4 June 1965, Page 1

Auckland May Be Short Of Fish

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, June 3. A fish shortage threatens Auckland after the crews of the port’s fishing fleet decided today they would not take their boats to sea again until the wholesalers paid a higher price for their catches.

The 45-boat fleet will stay in port except for any independent boats whose crews can negotiate satisfactory prices with merchants. For nearly four hours this morning 108 members of the fishermen’s association debated what action they should take to press their claims. At the end, the president, Mr W. Jennings, said: “We resolved that the wholesalers be informed that all boats will remain in port pending a satisfactory agreement being reached regarding the price of fish.” The Wholesale Fish Merchants* Association held no meeting today to discuss the fishermen’s decision, but the secretary, Mr R. B. Brebner, general manager of Sanford, Ltd., the biggest fish wholesalers in Auckland, said they might make a statement tomorrow.

“There won't be any shortage this week,” said Mr Brebner. “We’ve got fish to unload tomorrow. “But if the men don’t go out over the week-end—Mon-day is a holiday—well, there won’t be any fish on Tuesday. “However, there are ample stocks of snap frozen fish in Auckland at the moment.”

Longliners, whose catch is only a small percentage of Auckland fish supplies, many of whom sell along Tamaki drive at the week-ends, are not affected by the decision of the fishermen.