DOMINION FISHERIES REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 75, 30 March 1914, Page 3

DOMINION FISHERIES REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT

ASSISTANCE. (HI TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, 29th March. A meeting of the Otago branch of the fishermen's Society of New Zealand was held at Port Chalmers on Friday evening to discuss with Mr. G. -M. Thomson, M.P., and Mr. Anderton (curator of the Portobello 'Marine Hatchery) mothoils of impioving the conditions under which fishermen work, and generally ol furthering the industry. Mr. Thomson said he had asked the Government to grant to tho^e engaged in the fishing indu&tiy assistance similar to that given to settlers on the land, arid that the Hon. Mr. Fisher had undertaken to develop a scheme adopted by Scotch and Irish Fishery boards for advances to fisheirnen. He also suggested that the Government Insurance Department might be asked to work out a scheme of maiine insurance on boats,' which would materially assist fishermen in their finance. He also referred to the possibility of exporting to Great Britain certain kinds of fish which weie' cither unsaleable here, such as skate, or lish which wore often very abundant. In the coiuse of the discussion it was stated that fishermen now received on an average only 11s in the £, or 55 per cent, of tho gloss value of the fish .bold. Jt was decided to write to the Minister of Marine asking him to give effect to the suggestions inadf concerning advances and insurance, and also to obtain through the High Commi&sioner in London infoimation as to the possible market for the local fish in the Home Country. It was also urged that efforts be made to get the Commonwealth Government to remove the import duty on fresh fish go- | lug to Australia.