Prospects good for fish exports

Press, 12 January 1981, Page 9

Prospects good for fish exports

PA ■ ’ • Wellington Plans to- expand New Zealand’s fish exports to the, Middle.. East- could have been -increased substantially 'if Israel had been considered as a potential importer, according to :4he .Israeli Ambassador ■to New Zealand Mr Yaa-k.ov-MorfiS,i.,< / He was astonished that a'-New<Zealand delegation to the Middle East seeking •fishl irhporters had .missed out Israel, h? said. ■■ The manager Ipf 5 , the economic ’? and marketing division bf the-Fishing Industry (Board, Mr Russell .Arniitage/ ’ recently returned from the Middle -East and said that prospects for. New Zealand increasing its’ exports of fish to Arab States was good: .' ■. ’ New' Zealand already 7 exports fish valued, about $2.. million annually to Saudi Arabia. This figure could be doubled in the next 12 months if New •Zealand took advantage of the potential market. Mr Armitage’s visit did

not include Israel. He said that prospects for exporting fish to other Middle East countries were good but the immediate prospects would be Saudi Arabia and Egypt. . ..

New Zealand should be- ' come more involved in being represented at trade

fairs, in the area. .It was the only way in which other countries would see the range being offered and the products available. He belitved that the Government planned to have a New'Zealand stand at. the - next “Food Trade Fair” in. Bahrain. The fishing industry should be represented in the stand. . Although Jordan, Iraq, and Iran were possible future markets,: Saudi Arabia was the most affluent and would provide a ’.stable demand. There would continue to be a gap between production and demand for fish in that country. It Egypt there was also a. continuing demand for fish'and ail protein. In the last 12 month's Egypt had had a balance-of-payments surplus and was looking to diversify its sources of protein supply.

Egy r pt planned to send a five-man delegation led by the Minister of Supply, to New Zealand in February : > study .the possibility of New Zealand supplying fish.