FISH SUPPLIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27346, 23 March 1950, Page 8

FISH SUPPLIES

Dunedin Market REQUEST TO MINISTER Protection For Retailers The assistance of the Minister of Marine, Mr Goosman, to ensure that adequate supplies of fresh fish were made available to the retail trade in Dunedin was sought yesterday by a deputation from the Otago Fish Retailers’ Association. Speakers asked that the Government should assist to make workable a scheme devised by the trade in which one man would buy from the wholesalers the whole of the requirements of the trade. The secretary of the Otago Fish Retailers’ Association, Mr if. C. Osborn, said that some attempts had been made locally to have the matter put on a reasonable basis, and the scheme now suggested might work. The retailers were concerned about supplies of fish in the winter months. A survey had shown that a summer supply of 66,000 cases a month dropped to 37,000 cases for three months of the year, and this seriously affected the supplies received by retailers in the winter. ? Mr Osborn said that the trade welcomed the lifting of controls, but it felt that the requirements of Dunedin should be met before fish were exported. The export market was being developed to the detriment of the local trade. He suggested that the Government might have to consider the curtailment of export licences unless the Dunedin market was supplied first. There was provision in the Act for this. The speaker said that it was to be hoped that fish retail prices would be kept at a reasonable figure so that the market in Dunedin did not become prohibitive. The lifting of controls in Dunedin had resulted in a large wholesale firm asking that the freight charges on each case of fish brought from Port Chalmers to Dunedin should be increased to 2s a case. The Otago Fish Retailers’ Association could have the fish transported at 3.6 d a case. Fishermen were also asking an immediate flat increase of Id per lb on fish.

There were three parties to the sale of fish—the fishermen, the wholesalers and the retailers. All that the association asked was that the Government should support the present buying arrangement and ensure an adequate supply of fish. Although Otakou Fisheries, Ltd., co-operated well, another large firm would not agree to maintaining supplies to the trade. Mr H. McLeod said that although ample fish were caught, much of the supply was going to Australia. When the local market was bare of fish, good soles had been sent to Port Chalmers for use as crayfish bait. “ Unless someone is able to wield the big stick on behalf of the Government, the local market will not be supplied with fish,” Mr McLeod said.

After hearing an explanation of the position by an officer of the Marine Department, Mr Goosman said that as fishermen were licensed, they had a definite obligation to the public to fish all the year round. The local market must be kept supplied.