THE FISHING INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16480, 4 September 1915, Page 8

THE FISHING INDUSTRY

SUGGESTIONS FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT.

Tho following letter has been addressed to the Hon. Dr M'Nab, Minister of Manne, by Mr G. M. Thomson, chairman of the Portobello Fish Hatchery Board: —

The question of developing the fishing industry may at first signt appear somewhat inopportune at tho present juncture, when the Empire is engaged in a terrific and a devastating war, but a little consideration will show that it is one which bears directly on the welfare of the people. When the war is over there will certainly be a considerable disturbance in the economic conditions, and steps taken now to improve these conditions will require some time to take effect. The war has considerably enhanced the cost of living, many of the primary products of the countrymeat, butter, wheat, etc.—have gone up in value, and are likely to keep up lor a long time, and anything which will help to relieve the situation will be of direct benefit to the whole community. I desire, therefore, to bring under your notice the present position, and make suggestions as to the improvement andl development of the industry, in the hope that you will see your way to take such action as will tend to bring about the desired change. ' .The present condition of the fishing industry is unsatisfactory from nearly every point of view. Fish of excellent quality and of many kinds abound in the sea surrounding New Zealand, hut the arrangements for catching them and the means of distributing them audi of delivering them to the consumers are so defective that, instead of being a cheap article of fpod as they ought to be, they are so dear as to be a luxury in many parts. As a class—to which, of course, there are numerous exceptions—fishermen are neither as industrious nor as ambitious as one would' like to see. The former characteristic is one the improvement of which lies in their own hands; the latter is often 'due to the difficulties which beset them in the prosecution of their work, the uncertainty of their earnings, and the relatively small return which they get for their labour. The difference between the price received by the fishermen and that paid by the private consumer is so great as to suggest that the middleman alone profits, 'iiiis, however, is not the case. ' Some of the middltinen have done well, but this is on account of their industry and foresight, and they would probably have done just as well or better if they had put their energy and money into some other business. People not only want their fish fresh, but they also want it delivered at their, own doors; and the middleman who has to meet these wants has to pay for land and buildings,, refrigerating plant and space, and means of distribution. These things double and treble the original cost of the fish. ; Another cause of high prices is the action of {he fishermen themselves, who, through their associations and unions, limit tne catch of fish allowed to each boat. It 'is, a loolish and) suicidal policy, directed against the'public whom they exploit entirety in their own selfish interests, and tends to alienate sympathy from them aad check pubhc efforts to assist them. , .. The conveyance of fish by rail is • carried out in a very rough and; unsatisfactory manner. They are packed in barrels and boxes, and in' this crushed and squeezed-up condition they stand for hours in railway trucks, and on station platforms till, in close and wajm weather, they become offensive. The principle of making the railways pay a ceita.n percentage on their capital, cost is a good one from the point of view of the Minister of. Railways, but it is not necessarily so from the point of view of the Minister of Marine, or of any private citizen who wants to see all Government departments working in close co-operation with one another. If an industry like that of fishing can be improved and extended, and ii a good andi comparatively cheap supply of tisit can be brought to the people in tho districts whore at present the cost is prohibitive to the poorer classes, the Railway Department should be prepared to expend some money, in doing this, evehi though the percentage of profit was reduced to some extent. I do hot know the details of the expenditure required,' but I take it that it means better-fitted fish-vans at the main ports (I note that some improvements have recently been made in . the vans on the Port Chlamers line); and portions of vans similady fitted and set aside t-or carriage of fish on. inland trains. This would facilitate the carriage and distribution of fresh fish, instead ol indefinitely continuing' the present somewhat: unsavoury, method. The handling of fish always involves a certain amount of dirt and mess,, but this can bo minimised by the use oi proper appliances. A study of the methods adopted in Britain and other countries wouid give a good, deal of information on\ this important matter. . The co-operation of municipalities and borough councils should.be enhsted in this, matter. Such a' perishable commodity as tieh requires different treatment from Other kinds of produce. Market facilities should bo provided, and fish shape in close; proximity to other shops and to dwellings should , be discouraged, as even under the inost favourable oonditions they are apt- to be offensive to their neighbours. . The destruction of fish which takes place under present conditions is very groat and wasteful, and there ie no 1 ' provision for utilisation of this waste. Only marketable fish are brought to port and sold. Tile lineiinen catc.h, in addition to this marketable fish, small sharks, dog-fish, ekate, conger eel, otc., and throw these overboard as unsaleable. The trawlers catch, in addition to these, elephant fisli, squid'or cuttlefish, etc., and make no use of them. 1 have seen tons of red cod taken in the trawl net, hauled on board, and then tumbled baok into the sea because they would hardly sell. Few of them survive tire crushing to which-they aro subjected iiithe net when a haul of a ton or more is hoisted on board.

What is wanted to make fishing more productive is to utilise everythfn'g that is caught, the fresh fish for sale at .once or for smoking, the remainder to hav-e all available oil extracted from them, and all. the residues, including offal/to be desiooated and converted into fish guano. To do all this suitable plant is required, and no port in, New Zealand possesses such plant, and apparatus at the present time. As far as I can specify these at present, the requirements of a complete establishment to deal with all the fish taken at a main port are as follow: —

(1) Sheds for cleaning and preparing fish for market, with u suitable stock of boxes fitted witft ice-trays, etc., for

tlieir conveyance by rail or oart. (2) An ice-making plant on a scale sufficiently large to more than supply ice for all boxes, railway wagons, vans, carte, and shops required. In the Homo Country ice at fishing ports costs about 7b 6d per ton, 1 am informed; at Port Chalmers it is a,bo,ut 50s, which is prohibitive. It ought to be possible, with suitable plant, to J supply the fish trade here at about 12s

6d per ton. _ ' (3) Chilled or refrigerating chambers for preservation of fish over week-ends and during bad weather. (Freezing fish spoils all the finer kinds.) (4) Smokehouses, so' that a constant supply of freehly-smoked fish would bo

available. (5) Oil extraction apparatus. I notice that in 1913 cod liver oil to the extent of--13,223 gallons, valued at £2257 (3s 5d per gallon), and fish, penguin, mutton' bird, and seal oil to the extent of

35,509 gallons, valued at £3320 (Is lid per gallon) were imported. (6j Plant for desiccating - and grinding waste fish and offal. At present fishermen clean much of their fish when coming into port, or, if the port, is in close proximity to the fishing ground, they clean them on arrival. The, resulting offal dumped about in the neighbourhood, and is often very offensive, besides bringing round flocks of gulls and terns, and also many kinds marine scavengers. I need only -instance Moeraki and Halfmooii Bay in_ Stewart Island, as localities where this dumping of fish refuse goes on. All such material should be dried and utilised as manure. The composition of fish guano varies greatly, but it usually contains a considerable proportion of phosphate of lime and of nitrogen, and at current priccs is worth from £4 a ton upwards. If properly made it is worth more. Considering the largo quantity of phosphate manure at present _ imported into New Zealand, and the increasing demand for it, it is a pity that this local and unlimited source of supply should' be neglccted as it is.

In addition to what has been referred to above, I think that probably a certain amount of inland and a liW«e export trade could be done in filleted fish. 'Many kinds of fish, such as elephant fish, specics of dog fish, ctc., are of good edible quality, but people are prejudiced against theA. If filleted and properly prepared they form an excellent article of food, and one which 111 the Old Country commands a good price and a ready market. Filleted fish, prepared at Home and brought out here, is retailed at about Is 3d per lb, and, considering its high price, sells fairly well. It is usually sold as haddock, but almost any white fish, including dog fish, is utilised. Wo have many excellent kinds of fish, which, prepared in this way, could bo sold

at a price which would be a boon to the public and would -leave ;a' fail 1 margin of profit to the producers. There are also fish which are not used in this country, but which command a good price in the Homo Land, such as skate. I do not know whether our species are quito equal to those in the seas of . Northern Europe (some people are prejudicedin favour of anything British), but they are a good fish. If the edible 'arid 'most esteemed portions, such as the fin flape, were cut off, packed in boxes and. sent Home frozen, they would probably -command a good price. At present, and until suitable arrangements aro made, there is a difficulty to be overcome in the matter of freight. Vessels fitted'to carry frozen meat or dairy produce will not carry frozen rah, , and the only way to get this done would, be to secure isolated chambers on those steamers. It is clear this could not be dorto until shippers were certain of a "remunerative market. Therefore, it seems to me tho first step in this direction would bo" to have trial shipments of filleted fish, skate, eto., sent Home, to see what return they secure. Slpace up to five tons—sufficient; for small trial shipments—oan be obtained on most homeward-bound steamers. There would, no doubt, bo a certain amount of prejudice to overcome. But people; who buy; filleted fish; don't ask what species they belong to. It is enough for them that they get a clean, wholesome, and attractive-looking article of food. The Government has already two reports before it on which-no action has yet been taken—the war having interfered with, this, as with so many other things—viz.: (1) A report on New Zealand's fisheries; ( their present condition and future development; (1913) by L. P. Ayson, Esq., Chief Inspector of Fisheries. • (2) Fisheries of New Zealand (Preliminary Report on the) (1914) by Professor Prince, Commissioner of Fisheries for Canada. I do not propose to discuss theso feports in detail, thougn' both contain a great'deal of valuable information : and many suggestions. But there are one or two points I wish to refer to here. In Mr Ayson's report on page 4, he mates a series of recommendations— : . • No. 3: That the Government encourage practical fishermen to engage, m fishing by > advancing the money for the purchase of : suitable boats, and by supplying professional, fishermen with benzine and lubricating _6il ', at cost, price, plus transport ; and, working, expenses. '1' have urged this question .of Government assistance to fishermen for some years past, though not quite on the saiiie, 'lints as Mr Ayson does. I know that; the former Minister of Marine, the M. B. Fisher, was • impressed with the poe- : sibilities. of some . such proposal, which is already carried into effect by the Sootch-and Irish Fishery Boards, though I am not' aware how far it is still continued by the' former. It was'Mr Fisher's intention to obtain information on the subject, and it ; may be in the possession. of your department now. '

In my suggestions I advocated a scheme'; of advances on fishermen's dwelling..houses ' and sections, as well as on their boats, and plant, as the settlement of a thrify seafaring population in their' own homes, (not la? ' le&sed ■ houses) would do more than .ahy> ; thing else to raise the status of the fishermen. A well-considered soheme of marine insurance would also materially assist • them.; There is one aspect of the scheme of suggested advances to fishermen-.which: I; have : proposed, but which has never yet been considered. At the Navy League Conference in 1913, held in Wellington, I urged that special facilities should oe • granted to ■ ■■: fishermen to encourage them to train and qualify as members of, the; Royal Naval -Reserve; and, further that tor all' lads .whoMe learning and vvho' intend to follow up the fishing industry, training. for the navy take .the placo of tlie present. military service. The enormous demands made on the time and energies - .-of the Minister -of -Defence in the inception and carrying out of the-Defence training subee- . quent * increasixl demands made on- all .the' members of ihe Cabinet since the outbreak » of war, have prevented any immediate consideration ;• of the question,' ; and. it ;mußt stand over for the presents But it- is a , pei-fectly legitimate claim to make, advancing money to fishermen at' a low rate of : interest, - special . advantagesshould; "be •given to men . between 21 and ,40,.years-of. 1 age, ; on ooudition that they qualified : as efficient seamen to the standard, required \ by the' Royal Navy. .This .is much more than a local matter; it is an Imperial question, and as the .fishing industry' grew'/" it -' would 'grow' ill' importance. I neeid.- only point to the splendid work done for* the Jimpiro by the trawling fleetr "in the North Sea, as scouts and mine, sweepers, to show how: important it is. that we,- in this' maritime province of the' British Empire, should : , rear a body , of men ,prepared at any time to take their place .alongside 'of the : seamen of tho Royal Navy. ...;' .. . :j- : . - " N6l .4-.—That in any isolated. loojdijy ' where an extensive and prolific fishery exists the -Government should erect, or should assist , in the erection, and maintenance of a> fish-freezing imd - oil . and fish fertiliser manufacturing.plant.". I'havb urged some- ; thing like this on tho Government since. I entered Parliament in 1908, only while Mr Ayson has' in his mind the fishery oon- . ducted from ilalfmoon Bay, Stewart Island,. I contemplated the setting up' of such_" an establishment at- one or more of the priaoi- • pal porta At this point I-.desire to say that the , desirability or othenvise of the Government, entering lin to trading concerns : is: still an open question. As a. rule private individuals and privately owned companies carry out their work- more efficiently . and more economically than Governments and ' corporations do.: The. question lis too big for - hiere. = But 1 may point out that • where private enterprise <hae failed in the past to carry on an industry in' a'' manner satisfactory to this' community,- which in . this case is . sc> directly ' interested in' it, V the Government / may wpll step. in and either occupy the field, j or: assist those engaged'in it to do so more, effectively than they are doing. The Governments ot mspy lands have lound it necessary in the- einergehcies prod-uoed by the. present great war to adopt socialistic methods which would -havo been scouted a year or two ago. Our own Government has done so : : in connection with wheat and frozen meat . 1 It might well "extend the principle to the supply of fish, and by- increasing this and strengthening the-industry, it would assist in the solution of the perennial problem of the increased' oost of living. - "No. s.—That a bonus be given for the manufacture of fish fertiliser of a standard quality, and for the production of fish oils, . other than whale-oil.'' : r :

This plan , might- be adopted if the ; i Government did not take ut> the control of the whole industry, and even if it did; do ■so at any solected potts, it might be carried into effect at ,other centres." '; ; : ' . "No. 6.—That a bonus be given ■ for the destruction of sharks, dogfish, and 'dither enemies of the market fish' on the, reglilar Bailing grounds." I totally ■: disapprove' ;-of this suggestion! Dogfish are .useable as food, and even if not so used, they and all the eharks caught, either by line or trawlers, are worth bringing in for oil and manure. Besides, our examination of fish food at the Portobello Hatchery for : the past nine or ten years shows that of the smaller sharks, only the tape eats fish. : Dogfish feed mainly on shellfish,: Crustacea, and worms, .which they obtain by grubbing along, the bottom of the sea. The great enemies of-.the finer edible fish are groper, ling, and red cod, and to a less extent barracouta. If Mr Ayson's suggestion were given effect to, and there were no manure works to deal with dead sharks and dogfish at any fishing port, then the dumping of these dead fish either on land or in the sea in the immediate neighbourhood would soon create a naieanpe. _, , ..., , "No. 7.—That every possible facility ;be given by the Government for the conveyance of fresh fish by the most suitable teams from the fishing porta to the principal markets and inland." Thij. I havo already re-, commanded. • , The other suggestions in Mr Ayson s valuable report must stand over for the present, aa they involve expenditure which will ultimately reipav the country, but would noc immediately alfoot the supply of cheap fish, which is the point to be at present aimed at.- ' ■ ', : - . In regard to Professor Prince s report, it emphasises and enlarges on all the points which have already be«n made. But it carries with it the weight due to a care-fully-considered expression of opinion from one" who occupies a foremost plaoo among fishery 'experts. Meanwhile, it is only, a preliminary report, and the Government will naturally desire to wait for the fullydeveloped opinion of so great an authority before taking action on it. ... . I trust that I hare iustified the rtatements made in the opening sentences of this . letter, and that you will take stew to have the Question looked into thoroughly.