FISH FOR SYDNEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 484, 17 April 1909, Page 12

FISH FOR SYDNEY.

COOD DEMAND FOR OCEAN FRODUCTB,

WITH MRI J. MILESI. . "Now Zealand Has a good namo for fish," .said, Mr. J. Ifilesi, manager'of the. Wellington Fishermen's Company, who returncd/on Wednesday from Sydney, wliero ho had successfully ondeavonrod to push tho door of trade a little further open. : It eeoms that for years past there has ..been a demand for Now Zealand fish, but this demand had not nearly been met. To see if it were not possible to open up a moro extensive trade, Mr. Milesi went to Sydney on a steamer-that carried 15J tons of good wharehou, not to mention ample samples of schnappcr and hapitka.' Soon after his arrival there he met Mr. Montgomery, tho agent of the New Zealand Tourist Department, who offered to do anything in his power to forward tho object of Mr. Milesi's mission, and went as • far as to place at his disposal one of the windows of the office for tho display of Now Zealand smoked fish. ; Mr. Milesi did not accept the offer, but he desired to express hie gratitude to Mr. Montgomery for what ho had dono for him.

."Our wharehou is not known in Sydney," said Mr. Milosi, "and they had to find out what it was, so I took my coat off and auctioned, some at the municipal markets in Wooloomooloo. I got from 4d. to 4Jd, per (each wharehou weighs about 8lb.), but off that had to como Id. a pound duty and a Jd- freight, , besides oartage .and freezing charges at Wellington, bo what wo got was about 2d. per lb. I was not altogether satisfied, so I tried'a private market at.Redfern, which I found was much bettor attended than the municipal markets, and there I was able to sell more fish. On my experience there I am quite confident that there is an open door for our surplus fish. "I also took across some hapuka, which closely resembles the Australian black cod, and as they "did not know the Maori-named fish, I sold it as black cod,.and it realised from sd. to 6d. per lb.. They know the Now Zealand schnapper over there, but it really never reaches the pubh'c. I sold tho lot I took across. It bronght 6d. per lb. I also had wharehou placed on > the menus of the chief restaurants and hotels—it was a good way of introducing the wharehou, which,is really a splendid fish . for frying, baking, boiling, or smoked. '-'..,'' :

"I think there is a splendid market for o fish over there, and wo can supply it at c( tain times. At present I coula send over s months' supply of wharehou, and it is st coining in. In tho past tho men have sai 'What's the good of working—there is .: market for our fish. , .„ But if we could esta lish a good market, as, I hppq to do, they, w be able to go to, work in good heart. '■ i present the. expenses are .very'heavy.-. F instance, there. is a: duty of Id. per.lb. < fish'. Perhaps the Government' could pc suade the. Now, Smith Wales Government abolish or reduce to a minimum, the duty < fish'_ not obtainable in Australian. waters, j addition to the Id. duty we have'to ps id.' per lb.; .freight, so it, gets into' Sydni Waring, a pretty] heavy 1 , impost for su< ponshablo goods. ■', ; '■ ,'•' "I took over about 15J tons of wharehb the greater portion of which I sold.' It a rived there in splendid condition, thanks ■ the excelleait freezing accom'modatiori p'r vided by the Union Company. I liopo now I make regular shipments every week as ior as. the supply lasts, 'There is alwaya a d mand in Sydney for flounders, soles,.and bli cod, but they are scarce over there, and w can. only give them big fish. One we might c well with is butterfish/but they '' don't kno it over there, and when they see the bk bones they fancy the fish is stalo: but I , .-tell-you what they :do eat over : there tilt none will touch hero-Hho inkfish. 1 Teaw /served up at 2s. 6d. a plate,; and' it wf beautiful.;; We don't got many of them'rouu Wellingtonj but what wo do get are not soli Sydney fish consists chiefly of bream; garfisl blackicod. flathead, and a soft kindof mull< inot/nearly;as good>.iSs"thVi; i New. Zealau -..vanetywjua ■•«. io; norift-it/jr o/M u<i ■■■■',■■' ,•;■ ■/':Mr.vMSlesi-said jokingly' in conclusion tha the' wharehou almost. disappeared from i< Muntsi when-ho left, for,Sydneyj. but; ; o H'ednosday,morning came -into th Strait, the catches began' to grow aga.ir Ihe cablegram recently received from Sydno to tho effect that tho City Council of tha city had made arrangements to receive ■ sue plies of : ;' New Zealand frozen fish was,'a conjectured, the ■ result of Mr. Milesi's visit and a quantity of fish'will bo'auctioned'a «} e ir mumol ? al mar ! ;c ts there tho day th Wellington boat arrives (every Tuesday)'. ,