WELLINGTON'S FISH SUPPLY.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 22, 27 January 1899, Page 5

WELLINGTON'S FISH SUPPLY.

ITS SOURCES AND THE METHOD OP DISTRIBUTION. The question of the fish supply of this city is not a new one. Periodical outbursts of complaint have been made, concerning chiefly the uncertainty or irregularity of the supply and the exorbitant prices usually demanded by the fish vendors. The recent boom in the Napier fishing business, consequent on the introduction of a fleet of steam trawlers, opened a new source of supply for Wellington, and the daily arrival in the city of some hundreds of bundles, including several of the most popular varieties of fish, was welcomed with much satisfaction by those partial to this very wholesome class of food. Naturally, too, an appreciable fall in prices followed, and this induced an increased demand, which in all- probability will go on growing. This has again given rise to the question of providing a fish market for the city, and with a view of ascertaining some idea of the amount of support such an institution is likely to receive a representative of this journal was told off to make some enquiries. . The first thing to discover was the source or sources from which the city draws its fish supply. This was not a very difficult matter. The Napier supply has already been mentioned. Daily the through train from Napier, brings here from 200 to 300 bundles of fine fish, chiefly flounders and soles. These usually are landed in very excellent condition, and there is no reason why they should ever be otherwise. The fish are caught either on the afternoon preceding or in the early morning of the day on which they are sent on by train %o this city, where they arrive at 8.30 in the evening, and are immediately placed on the market. Many are sold the same evening while the remainder are disposed of during the morning following. Assuming then thaj; the fish are caught at 5 o'clock on the evening of Thursday, they arrive here at 8.30 p.m. on Friday, but in the majority of cases are not used until breakfast time on Saturday — nearly 40 hours after they were caught. This is assuming that they were captured in the afternoon. Often they are caught some 12 hours later, and arrive here in a correspondingly fresher state This lapse of time would not affect the fish in. cool weather, and with proper care they should not hurt even,, in, the summer months,! for as soon as they are caught they are cleaned and packed in ice. So far the Railway Department has not seen its way to provide cool trucks for the carriage of fish, 1 but as the trade grows this may be expected to be done. It is a rather disturbing fact that the catches of the Napier trawlers liave not been so large during the past few days as they were previously, but it is hoped that this is only a passing circumstance. Leaving the Napier supply, we get a fair quantity of fish here from Picton and Nelson, including occasional consignments of flounders, but sometimes delays in transit, combined with bad weather, lead to their being put ashore in such a state that the fish vendors cannot place them on the market. The supply from the Maryborough Sounds, across the Straits, consisting chiefly of cod, has been a diminishing quantity for some time past, and the question of protecting the fish remaining there has been receiving serious consideration. This is a matter of some importance to Wellington. At one time large quantities of cod were sent here from the Sounds, and the fishing grounds there were so handy to this city, and the fish abounded in such numbers, that the supply seemed almost inexhaustible. Long years of netting, however, have thinned the fishing grounds, and it is said the treatment accorded some of the fishermen by the local dealers is also partly responsible for the falling off, but at any rate the quantity now sent here from the Sounds is comparatively small. Another means of fish supply is through the medium of the local fishermen. These fish around the coast in almost all the bays from Paremata to the Pilot Station, and in such well-known places as Warchou Bay and elsewhere sometimes secure excellent catches of warehou, trumpeter, groper, etc. Their means of earning a livelihood, however, are very precarious, and particularly since the competition of the Napier trawlers their lot is rather a hard one. Three or four of these men combine together, sink their all in obtaining a boat and nets, and thereafter, if they have luck and work hard, eke out a poor existence. ' As they are in close toucl* with the city, their catches are quickly placed on the market, and usually find ready acceptance, but sometimes at prices that are truly disheartening. These ar* the class of fishermen who probably would most benefit by a fish market. Another source of supply, and a rather recent one, is Orongorongo, near Pencarrow Lighthouse. A small steamer now makes trip.* to Orongorongo, where fish are said to be plentiful, and big hauls have been made., This practically closes the list, and the question of desirability or otherwise of a fish market to enable the distribution of the fish to take place at a minimum cost now arises. At the present time ( the method of distribution is well known. Most of the fishermen sell their tc the shops and hankers, and in the case of the Napier supply a large quantity is disposed of by Messrs Laery and Co., auctioneers. Prior to the Napier consignments being sent to Wellington prices were kept up, particularly by one of the local dealers, and it is hinted that there is now a movement afloat to form a company to run the whole of the Napier trawlers, and again create a monopoly here. Naturally that would mean an immediate rise again in prices, and a consequent falling-off in the now increasing demand iot fish. This is a matter of considerable importance to the general public, to say nothing of the small army of fish hawkers who appear to have sprung into existence since the Napier supply. A fish market, inasmuch as it would to some extent abolish the middleman, would enable the local fishermen to keep down theii prices if they chose, but that is not likely. If the Napier people raise the prices, the looal fishermen will in all probability follow suit. Some of the Napier trawlers are reported to be hanging back from the monopoly, and if, as stated, they are satisfied with present prices, there is some hope of the would-be monopolists being baXilked of their desires ; but otherwise there seems a prospect of an increase in prices of at least 50. per cent.