FRESH FISH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 1, 12 December 1910, Page 11

FRESH FISH.

THE HARVEST OF THE SEA. WHAT CHECKS THE INDUSTRY. WANTED—MUNICIPAL MARKETS AND RAILWAY FACILITIES,

“It must also be borne in mind that the means of distribution f rom the sea coast to the inland population were scanty and expensive, thus making it impossible to supply fish in fresh condition beyond a limited area : hence it would appear that up to the seven: ‘e.ith century the sea fisheries never extended beyond a short distance from our coasts. It would seem, however, that the Government o! the day was alive to the importance of sea fisheries, probably induced by three sufficient reasons: first, the importance of fish as a des:. - 'I le and valuable article of ondly. the profitable reaping where they had and, thirdly, the couraging the ing course for the In fore, to encourage Government offering ton landed tonnage. and

evidently those who foresaw that much more might be made of extended enterprise in the fisheries.” Government Not Alive. The quotation is from the opening pages of “The Origin and Growth of British Fisheries and Deep-sea Fishing,” by George F. S. Edwards, an English authority" on the subject to-day. The words applied to Britain’s fishing industry two centuries and a-half ago, They might, with few modifications, apply equally well to the condition of the fishing industiy of New Zealand to-day. One modification would be in the statement that “the Government of the day -.vas alive to the importance of sett fisheries.” There is little or nothing to show that the j-resent Government is really alive in that respect. Far from Satisfactory. The fact is that the fishing industry of the Dominion to-day is in a condition far from satisfactory. A large amount of capital was invested in the trade a few years ago and fishing was conducted by steam trawlers on a more extensive and, at the same time, more expensive scale, than before. The fishermen applied to come under an award of the Arbitration Court, and the effect of the award when made has been to increase very substantially to the owners the cost of obtaining fish. This fact, among others to be noted subsequently, coupled with two bad fishing seasons in succession, has inflicted a serious blow «n the industry. Owners Lave lost, and lost heavily, and are losing still. Efforts are being made to open up fresh fisheries, such t.s those at the Chathams, but this factor does not solve the essentiil difficulties of the problem. Light on the Problem. Light on the question of the Dominion’s fisheries has been thrown from time to time by the “Post” in interviews with experienced men connected with the industry. The problems of the marketing and -Jistribution of the harvest of the sea have received attention. Two things that stand as obstacles to the welfare of the fishing industry were emphasised by Mr. R. S. Mward, of the New Zealand Trawling Company, in an interview with a “Post” reporter. These are the absence of railway facilities for distribution, and the absence of public markets. If these defects were remedied, Mr. Alward considered the industry would have a far better chance of recovery than it has now.

How They Manage at Home. Taking the lack of railway facilities first, Mr. Alward pointed out how much better conditions were in the Old Country. There, fish took precedence of everything except passengers. On the express trains were special vans for fish, and tlie result was that fish could be distributed in almost any part of the kingdom within the twenty-four hours. Mr. Alward, who came back from a trip to tlie Old Country a short time ago. mentioned here that fish by mail direct from the wholesale merchants to the consumer had become very popular at Home. Fish would be delivered - n 'quite small parcels, from 2,’- to ■' : - ■ worth, in any part of the country |to any address, without passing ! through the hands of the midd’.eI man. Th.is was a convenient way cf I distributing fish, and a boon both |to producer and consumer. The fish j was carried in a guard’s van by | ordinary passenger train. J No Fish Allowed. I On the New Zealand railways, i continued Mr. Alward, the departI ment absolutely refused to carry ' fish by passenger tram, either in large or small quantities. The tesult was a very formidable and really an insurmountable obstacle in the way of disvribution. The result was that in the country districts and in the, smaller inland towns, the supply of fish was exceedingly spasmodic, irregular, and unsatisfactory. In some parts of the country sea fish was unobtainable. This, of course, made fish much cheaper - in a centre Hke Wellington, so much cheaper, said Mr. Alward, that paid at all to catch it. of things was this It to Ze an half Home. to

size and description would be half the price here retail. And so right the list; the price of fish in Wellington is not half what it -s, for instance, in London. As for rents of shops, Mr. Alward gave an instance of a fishmonger in London paying £3 a week rent for a shop in which he did a weekly turnover; of more than £lOOO. No fish shop in Wellington did a fourth of that turnover, yet many greater rents had to be paid. Where an assistant in a shop would get £l/10/- at. Home, he would get £3 here, and so forth.

Comparative Cost. Then as to the upkeep of a trawler Mr. Alward gave the following comparative figures : —New Zealand —Coal, £l/7/- a ton ; England, 12/-; ice, £3 to £l, as against 10/- to 12/-; engine room stall, wages £4O a month as against a. 17 : nets and fishing tackle. New Zealand at least 100 per cent, greater ; fishermen’s wages at least 100 per cent, greater in New Zealand. General cost of running a week, England £5O, New Zealand £lOO. Why Not Carry Fish by ivlail. It was necessary, said Mr. Alward, that facilities should at least be given to secure better distribution. He suggested the Railway Department might allow the carriage of fish on any passenger train. A zinc lined box with ventilation holes would be all that would be required for a start, and with these means a parcel fish delivery system on similar lines to that in vogue in England might be gradually established. The department should also take fish from Napier to Wellington by mail. By suitable organisation it might be possible to provide the resident of Martinboroigh in the Wairarapa say with fresh sea fish by parcel delivery. Believer in Municipal Markets.

“Are you in favour of municipal markets?” Mr. Alward was asked. “Entirely and absolutely so. I believe the establishment of public markets preferably under municipal control in the different centres would do a great deal of good to our languishing industry. We are catchers of fish, and had there been proper markets we should not have thought of going in for shops. The municipal market would be fair to everybody.” There are No Rings.

Do you want Government assistance in the survey of New Zealand water for fresh fishing grounds? ‘No, if you give us proper marketing and distribution so that we can get a reasonable profit for >ur fish we will look after the supply and do any necessary prospecting.” And what about rings ?

“We have heard .a good deal about fishing rings, but I can assure you of this: There is no such thing as a ring. This is a free country and anybody who is disposed to go into the'business, in a small rr large, way, can do so and be welcome. There is no such thing as a ring or any fixing of prices or anything of tlie sort. This is our position to-day.”—“Wellington Post.”