THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13303, 9 October 1906, Page 7

THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

Sir, — am afraid your correspondent, E. Bcllhouse, has touched on a question that he knows absolutely nothing about. The question is, Will fish be any cheaper if trawling is allowed in the Hauraki" Gulf? I would like to ask him, if he is sufficiently on Mr. Sanford's side, to equip an up-to-date trawler to fish the Pacific and judge for himself, and the "dumb lowest, rank" of society, that they will Im> ab]e to secure cheap fish all the year round. From practical experience I can say that Auckland can get cheap fish even with the primitive gear that is used. There are any quantity of edible fish that could be sold cheap if only the local merchants would put them on the market. This time last year the local fishermen flooded the market with schnapper; but did the Auckland poor get cheaper fish? I doubt.it. Then, again, when the School schnapper came in, and the Auckland fishermen flooded) the market with fish caught on their primitive lines, did the people get cheaper fish or not, compared with the prices paid to the catcher, who was put on a limit to his catch? I think if Mr. Bellhouse was.to advocate for a public market, where all fish was sold under the hammer, he would be on the right road to cheap fish. Then, the local dealers and) hawkers would be on a level footing. It is the middleman that makes it dear, not the catcher. I would like to call Mr. Bellhouse's attention to the old-fashioned lines. If he makes inquiries he will find that the greatest catches are caught with lines, and England's primest fish are all hooked, for there arc steamers running out of England and Scotland to the Faroe Islands and Iceland for nothing else but hooked fish. Why compare England's supply of fish with New Zealand's?- If fish should' be found in superabundance, as your correspondent says they are, one up-to-date trawler would be able to supply the whole population of New Zealand, which only numbers the same as a largo town in England. '. I think, Mr. Editor, that, we have arrived at a time when there should be a fish market in Auckland, and now that the harbour works are under extensive operations the Harbour Board should 1 be asked to erect a fish market. Thames. . H. G. Hoot.