FISHERMEN AT ISLAND BAY

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 14, 17 January 1921, Page 8

FISHERMEN AT ISLAND BAY

A FEW FACTS

TO HIB -itliiOK. Sir, —Without encroaching unnecessarily upon your valuable space I would like, through tho medium of your columns, to bring under public notice a. .few facts which may serve, firstly, to enlighten those of your readers who arc ignorant of many points concerning tho fishing industry; • and, secondly, to endeavour to impress' upon tha Municipal and Government authorities the urgent need to make a, definite move- to carry out the projected' improvements for tho liahermen at Island Bay. The public of Wellington who complain of tho high price of fish are perhaps under a misapprehension as to, the percentage of proiita which go to the fishermen, and also have no idea of tho unfavourablo conditions under which tho fisherman at island Bay arc obliged to work. The prime object of this letter is to 6tato the caso plainly from the fishermen's point of view. In common with aIL other commodities, fishing gear, boats, engines, etc., ho.vo risen "in pneo since tho war from 300 to 500 p^v cent,, benzine has also been eearoe, and the price abnormally high. The weather conditions in and around Cook Strait during I the past season have been trie worst experienced for-.many years, making; it impossihlo for the boats to go out to tho iishing banks, except on a very fow days, each month. And, coupled with this, there has been a great scarcity of fish. Last week it was announced that about 12,000 warehou had been landed by the boats at. Island Bay. The average householder reading that item of news probably comes to the conclusion that fresh 'fish will bo cheaper ; but ho does not get his fish any cheaper, and tho fishermen gets still lets, as the'wholesale price drops 'when there is a glut in the fish market. After toiling long hours for his small return from tho harvest of tho iioa, the fisherman has to repair his nets and make good .losses sustained through the misfortunes attached to the weather. During Saturday night snd Sunday of last week, some hundreds of pounds worth of large wayohou nets wero lost in Kitzroy Bay owing to a heavy swell and strong tide, and this loss, in conjunction with, tho poor price realised for the fish, resulted in a' considerable loss to the majority of the fiahoraien on the week's fishing. What I wish to make clour to your readers is tho fact that tho fishermen have no control over, or say in, the matter of priced which the public is called upon to pay for fish. While hoping 1 am'not occupying too much of your limited space, I dusire to say a few words in reference to tho lack of any conveniences for fishermen at Island Bay, and, from a public health'point of view, the insanitary means of handling the fish at tho bay. The launches leave for the fishing banks at daybreak, and, after a hard day's work, return just before dusk with tho day's catch. On arrival at the Bay the fish, having been beheaded, arc .transferred to dingheys" a ; nd rowed to the shore. From hero trie fish has to be carried to tho roadside, entailing many trips to and from the water's edge and an unnecessary waste of valuable timo. Thoro being uo alternative, the fish is left in heaps at various points on tho roadside until tho carrier calls. Sinco the early days of settlement Island Bay has bee.a a fishing centre, and tho industry has grown apace with the times, but tho same out-of-date methods of handling the fish prevails co-day that was tho caso forty years ago. I During recent years several individual effort* have been made by the fishermen to prevail upon the City Council or Govern-, ment to carry out certain proposed improvements for tho fishermen at Island Bay, but until late last year no combined action was ever taken by the fishermen. Last year the fishermen at Island Bay, in order to fight for their own inter?.'?*,' decided to form an-. association, winch has been duly incorporated under the Friendly Societies' Act. Having done Mm. deputa-' tions from the association intervwed the Hon. Minister for Marine an-J also tile City Council, and in both instances w«'e assured that the needs of 'the fishermen would have early consideration. Since September last much correspondence has boon carried on between the usiui'iation and City Council, ani promises o? visits by the City Engineer and others nai'o oeun made to decide upon a suitable site for the proposed wharf, sheds, and slipway, but up to the present moment these promises have not materialised. I trust that one effect of this letter will bo to call the attention of tho council and Government to the urgent need for making an early start with the proposed work at Island Bay, which will be greatly appreciated by the fishermen. To revert to the question of the supply and price of fish, the Government recently passed an Act whereby financial assistance would vbe available for bona fide fishermen with the object of extending the fishing industry and increasing the supply of fish. The Government could do still more to assist fishermen by removing- or substantially reducing the import duty on fishing ge.-w and marine, oil engines for fishing i poses. This question has already been : ' mitted to the Minister for Customs with :. ;w to being brought before the House ;.- n early date. In cone . 'ion, sir, I trust you will see your way t.o give full publicity to the contents of this letter, thereby rendering a service to the fishermen, of whom. I am one myself.—l am, etc., BONA SIDE. Island Bay, 15th January.