N.Z. FISHERIES

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1945, Page 5

N.Z. FISHERIES

WHALES, EELS AND SEALS WELLINGTON, Aug. 23. In the House to-day the Member for Invercargill (Mr Wm. £• Denham, Labour) speaking on the Ad-dress-in-Reply, said New Zealand was losing a good deal by not developing the whaling industry in this country. New Zealand should consider this matter seriously and quickly. In a recent season about 150 whales weie taken in Tory Channel, but the operators there lacked the equipment necessary to take the full value from the whales that they captured. The meat was thrown overboard. Whale steak was worth one shilling per pound in Britain. New Zealand should have at least one factory ship, which would enable us to take a share in the industry, and to make full use of the whales which,-at a certain season, frequented New Zealand waters, following a well-defined course. Mr Denham said that, by the new quick-freezing process, it would be possible to process whale meat so that it would be ready for handling by retail butchers. Then there were large quantities of eels in the New Zealand streams,and they provided valuable food. Another asset in New Zealand waters was the seals around the coast. It was possible that there were ten thousand seals in the coastal waters. They have -been protected for many years, and he considered it was time in the interests of our fisheries alone, that they should be utilised.