Proposals For Developing N.Z. Fishing Industry

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31723, 5 July 1968, Page 18

Proposals For Developing N.Z. Fishing Industry

The New Zealand Fishing Industry Board should be changed to a fishing development corporation and be given more authority and finance, according to a report by Dr W. F. Hampton, who made a study tour of New Zealand late in 1966 and who died shortly after completing the report in February of this year.

Recommendations in his report, which was released by the Fishing Industry Board yesterday, included the establishment of a school or college for technical education, more fisheries research, greater attention to marketing frozen fish and better standards in fishhandling and processing plants.

The new corporation should acquire facts relating to any aspect of the industry and explore the feasibility of new ventures the industry could not undertake itself because of financial risk or lack of so-called know-how. The corporation should also exercise control over the existing industry to promote the utilisation of known or unknown resources, require a standard in the industry so that its products earned the maximum possible and achieve an equitable distribution of earnings, the report said.

Dr Hampton proposed that the Government should relegate its authority to a Cabinet Minister known for the present as Minister of Marine and Fisheries but for whom in the future the post of Minister of Fisheries should be created.

The present board was a sound forward step, but it lacked authority and finance

commensurate with its responsibilities, Dr Hampton said. Its present size and organisational structure were quite inadequate to enable it to fulfill its responsibilties. The primary objective of the industry was to earn foreign exchange, and he said that present earnings were substantially below their real potential. One of the chief reasons was the lack iff an industry structure suited to the job; but he did not think it likely that the industry by itself was capable of developing a suitable structure.

Dr Hampton said about 40 species entered the commercial catch, but 10 of them accounted for about 90 per cent of the catch. In terms of landed value, shellfish (including crayfish) were several times more valuable than fish and effort should be directed to expanding the shellfish business consistent with good management of stocks. There must also be efforts to maintain and increase the value of fish supplies by quality improvement, cost reduction, wider distribution, greater sales volume and new products. Efforts must also be directed to increased utilisation of the species that command low prices and volume and to exploration for new species such as pelagic fish and other types of demersal fish. Plants Criticised Dr Hampton was critical of the plants he saw, and said most fell short of minimum requirements for food-hand-ling plants—cleanliness, lighting, protection against files, housekeeping and handling and processing equipment. “I did not see one plant that on a scale of excellent, very good, good, fair and poor, I would grade higher than between good and very good," he said. “By comparison with fish plants in many parts of the world I would judge that the New Zealand plants do not compare unfavourably, but it is not tile proper comparison to make because it is too frequently the case throughout the world that fish plant operators, either by neglect or lack of knowledge,

'refuse to recognise that they are in the food business. “The proper comparison is with operations in other food industries where the hazards of spoilage are not greatly different: for example the meat and dairy industries.” He suspected that one of the problems was too little technical knowledge of food handling and processing. This pointed to a real need for technical education. More often than not the quality of seafood served to him in hotels was a disappointment With a view to supplying consumers with a better and more uniform quality of fresh fish over the widest possible area, Dr Hampton suggested that more attention be given to marketing fish in frozen form. Baseless Prejudice There appeared to be a reluctance on the part of retailers and consumers, similar to that experienced formerly in North American and European markets, to accept frozen fish on the basis that its quality was Inferior. If the raw material had been carefully selected and if the handling and processing had been carried out expertly, this view was without foundation.

Consumers and the Industry must be convinced that the frozen fish could be just as good or even better than fresh and that frozen products of excellent quality could be made available over greater areas and throughout the whole year. Among recommendations which he said might be of assistance to the industry was that technical audits should be made of handling and processing practices on boats and in plants and retail stores with a view to revealing actual conditions in the Industry and steps that need to be taken to meet the standard specification. A procedure of licensing boats, plants and retail shops might be Introduced. Of the Fishing Industry Board, Dr Hampton said its list of functions presented an imposing array of responsibilities, all of which were important and any one of which was a major job. There was far too much for the present staff to cope with. Without question it would have to be enlarged. Greater Authority One criticism that seemed valid was that the board lacked authority commensurate with its. responsibility. It was advisory to the. Minister. The functions of the board and the Marine Department needed clarification. There was some overlapping which caused uncertainty and confusion. He did not agree that the board should concentrate- on marketing. It should be the body of major responsibility and be given full responsibility for fisheries development. Technical education would not provide all the answers to the industry’s problems, but it would make a major contribution to their solution. He proposed three general objectives: (1) Retain and upgrade men already engaged in the industry. (2) Train young men seeking to make a career in some segment of the Industry. (3) Provide training for all

segments of the industry and for all levels of responsibility. Central School There should be a central school or college for technical education, and Dr Hampton favoured Nelson as a site after saying that the choice lay between Nelson and Gisborne. His reasons were Nelson’s proximity to an area where all types of fishing were represented, its central location, the active interest of the council of governors of Nelson College and the interest of the Nelson Harbour Board in making land available. New Zealand’s needs on research in naval architecture and fishing methods and gear could be met by research going on in leading fishing countries. Dr Hampton said. The main concern of the New

Zealand industiy was with the application of such knowledge to its own operations. Oh food technology, he said the work of New Zealand scientists in the fields of dairy and meat research was worldfamous. In contrast there was virtually a complete lack of research bn marine products. Fisheries research seemed to be truly an orphan. Dr Hampton said the potential of the industry for growth and expansion was mentioned repeatedly while he was in New Zealand, but there were widely different opinions, and virtually no information available as a basis for sound judgment. The first step was the programme of exploratory fishing which had begun, he said; when discussing species not commercially exploited at present. Farming Study The potential of the shellfish resources was also essentially unknown. The potential of crayfish resources should be given high priority and oyster resources should be given attention. The possibility of freshwater fish farms should be given

thorough study, and he said he would be surprised if there were not some encouraging results. Discussing markets, Dr Hampton said the production and sale of tuna and herring products throughout the world was big business. It might be found that substantial stocks of pelagic fishes occurred in New Zealand waters. The area for fishing might be expanded northward to come into closer range with the tuna areas. Certain species of fish in New Zealand bore unusual names unknown in certain areas of the world, and he wondered if this would be an obstacle to their acceptance in markets. Assistance from the Government in the form of relaxed import restrictions on gear and equipment, and even subsidies to meet competition from other countries which had subsidies, might merit serious consideration. Dr Hampton ended his conclusions on potential by repeating: “Do what is being done now, but do it better, and do new things.”