RESTRICTION OF SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18949, 21 February 1925, Page 11

RESTRICTION OF SUPPLY.

LIME FISHERMEN'S CATCHES. COMMENTS BY THE MINISTER. Some interesting facts and figures with regard to the price of fish in Auckland wore given yesterday by the Minister for 'Marine, the linn. G, J, Anderson, at tho opening of the now works of Kan ford j Limited. Investigations which he made recently in this district, showed that fishermen supplying a freezing and distributing concorn received only from Id to per lb. for schnappor. and 4d per 11). for flat fish. The most remarkable thing, however, was tho admitted limitation of the number of fish tin l , men were, allowed to calcb. The men wore bound to tho. dis tributing agency, which would only take so many fish per man per day, even restricting tho number of days a week on ■which the fishermen were allowed to go out t«> iish. It. was quite clear the men could have produced from the sea double, and treble Sin' quantity of fish. The reason for this restriction was stated by the distributing agency to lie that they could not sell greater quantities. There was a certain unavoidable wastage of fish during the hot, weather, said the Minister, but there was an even greater wastage through the, dumping of certain classes of fish which would not brim; tho same price on the. market, as other classes. Dumping of fish tit for food was an offence under the Fisheries Act. know of no reason why, it the methods available for maintaining tho condition of fish are used, all fish caught should not be landed and made, available for sale or export. or turned into manure,"' the Minister added.