FISHING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 50, 28 February 1934, Page 15

FISHING INDUSTRY

POSSIBLE EXPANSION

ROTARY SUGGESTIONS

JElio possibilities- of developing tho fishing industry are discussed in the report, of the special, conimitteo to tho Nqav Zealand Rotaiy'Club's Conference, vhieh-opened in New Plymouth yester- ,' \ <~','>■- • .i day. ■ , ,• ;-)i "^'Fishas.'a source of foqd-suppry for out ( people^Jibs- been: neglected (states the- rep,ort).'.'During the financial year 10$2r33'only 29Q,000cwt "of fish was caught for market, the value boihg ■about..'£3l6,ooo, and of this amount 50,000cwt Vas dxpoitcd.' Tho number of^p"6rsons employed in tho fishing industr,y ,(excliiding ictailors) in, that period, was just over 3000, oi which IO'OO wcro only employed.'for part time. "With: its groat extent of { coast lino-in , ,pr,op,ortibn,to its area, and with its ■ \vaters teeming with fish —250 species ; are'Jtnowii to exist, and many of thorn aro edible—-it might have been ex- ; pected that New Zealand would be a i fish-eating country, bi^t this is not tho ' case. Before the advent of-the pakclia the Maori could have been placed in that category. In Canada .tho annual consumption of fish per, inhabitant is 251b per head; in New Zealand it is olb, and is mostly confined to tho people in the cities and coastal towns. Nor is there much likelihood of mci eased consumption until theie is a groat improvement in distribution, reduction in price, and well organised publicity to show tho value and''the 'attractiveness -of tho addition of fish'to the ordinary household's bill of faro. '' How J3- tho -industry to bo devol- ! oped? ..By organisation: organisation for catching, "'distributing,./ and, where i necessary, preserving the fish. While the cost of fiesh fish remains high and I the labour ■gntailc'd'in its 'preparation , and cooking veiy considerable, it is unJ likely to be a serious competitor with ''moat, but if prepared and packed in an ,'attractive and convenient manner, the demand for fish and fish products would - assuredly'increase. ,In tho year 1932 , New Zealand spent £117,000 upon im- - ports of 'foodstuffs of animal origin,l of which £81,000 was for fish and fish products. The, figures fell to £61,000 last year, but they aro a cleat indication of a demand for fish other than raw, and oxporimonts that havo been tried ".with local supplies havo demonstrated that1/, excellent raw mateiial'is to hand, and that the resources availablo have only been touched on "tho surface. There are few households in which tinned fish and fish - pastes ■do not form paTt of tho' diet, and the development of that branch of the industry would prevent the waste that is' entailed when .fisheries can only rely upon tho sales of raw fish for their revenue. STATE ENCOURAGEMENT. "It would pay the State to encourage the development of the industry by granting loans or subsidies to thoso engaged therein for the purpose of'pur■chasing larger and more'powerful boats; of establishing'] pool storage and icemaking'plants near the".fishing grounds; of,cnepjiragi.ng"'theH J innin'g, curing, and -joihmercialipreparafyon of fish food. The canHiig of crayfish ,and oysters is already 'well established, with evory prospect of .becoming a very prosperous industry. "There is^a very sorious loss to the , Dominion at 'present," states the re- ' port, "not only from the waste of fish '', in warm weather, but from the ' non--1 .utilisation., of waste products, fiom which i.fish-oil and fish-manuro might Tlje niauufacttrotl"'; "A 1' few tontativo >4k&tefelHi3|MifiQ& . I raade..-iy4j ( h,\;exy gpo-. ' 'witsing'fesulfs. 'Fish oil "is valuable in pur,ppso, that is capable of expansion'ls its use in tho pre■fiT.atfon. of stock foods ( the domand for Mrich is likely.' to increase as the aality of.the idairy herds, of the Doliriion, rises. Any schemo for the doelopement of our fisheries should intujlo'! tn'e establishment'of plants capb!l6' of dealing uo't- only with flshffaj.and fish-waste *rpm the cleaning heds, but' also the utilisation of vast ■[uantities'.of coarse fish which are 'hrowa.back into the sea. * "A reduction in price would certainly result from an increased demand, tho /'elimination of waste from catches of fish 'as indicated and from improved , methods of transportation. Rapid transit from port to market and for distribution inland is essential if fish arp to - bo .distributed in good condition. The ■"railways havo already done much to -effect this transport, but moio could 'be done,if the industry could be organised 'and dovelopod and tho people, by iem.deni < publicity, mado as 'fish- , minded', as the people, say, of Cantada,.where the range of edible fish docs ■Inot'equal'that enjoyed by our favoured country." ■* ''»■',*