FISHERIES EXPLOITATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23082, 7 January 1937, Page 16

FISHERIES EXPLOITATION

NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA LONDON GROUP TO EXPERIMENT (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Dec. 31. The Commonwealth Government is about to enter into one of the most extensive investigations of fisheries resources made in Australia. A new vessel is being built for this purpose, and already an officer of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has made an aerial observation of surface-swimming fish off the south-eastern coast. It has been recommended to the council that it should take preliminary steps to carry out similar investigations off the north-west coast of Australia, which is believed to be very rich in fish life. But private enterprise is not going to wait for the Government research and surveys before the north-west coast is exploited. Mr C. Alexander, a prominent pearler from those regions, said on his return from a visit to England that considerable interest in Australia’s fishing resources was noticeable abroad. Mr Alexander said that the north-west Kimberley coast was almost untouched and would have amazing possibilities when development stcH'tod* “It is the intention of a London group to. commence experimental operations on the north-west coast of Australia,” he said. “It is hoped that young immigrants between the ages of 16 and 18 will come out from England to engage in the new industry, A fishing fleet will be started and will supply a factory ship equipped with a refrigerating unit. With a new process known as ‘rapid freezing’ it is possible to treat fish in 20 minutes, as opposed to the usual 15 hours. The filleted fish will be packed and marketed in cartons. Oil will be extracted from livers, and fishmeal and fertiliser from offal will be by-pro-ducts.” , Mr Alexander said that the pearling industry was better than ever for vessels working outside Australian waters. “It was recently discovered,” said Mr Alexander, that the largest pearl bed known is situated 70 miles off the Australian coast to within 100 miles of the Timor. Pearling boats with aircompressor engines, which previously took about 16 tons of shell a year, are now taking about 30 tons in a period of 16 to 18 weeks. ’