THE FISHING INDUSTRY

Southland Times, Issue 25357, 8 May 1944, Page 2

THE FISHING INDUSTRY

Sir, —I am not a fish merchant so I am not taking up the challenge issued by the Hon. T. F. Doyle in Saturday morning’s paper. But I do know a little more about the. fishing industry than Mr Doyle does, and I wish to make a comment or two on his statement. Regarding the price paid to fishermen: a man fishing into Bluff and using a merchant’s boat is paid 33/- per 1001 b of cod plus a bonus ranging from 12/to 15/- the following month, making his payment for the fish 45/- to 48/- per 1001 b—not 31/- as stated by Mr Doyle. He can check that up by asking any fisherman. Mr Doyle also stated that 2400 cases of fish were shipped on March 29 and a like amount on April 30, maintaining that this proved his point that there were thousands of cases of fish in the freezer when he made his first statement. The bulk of the first shipment may have been in the freezer at that time, but the second shipment had not even been caught then, and Mr Doyle can also check up on this by asking fishermen how much fish was caught between March 29 and April 30. I agree with Mr Doyle that the price of fish is prohibitive, but wish to make one point here. In 1935, when the Labour Party (Mr Doyle’s party) was first elected to power, the wholesale price of blue cod was 4d a pound. Now it is Bd. Mr Doyle says that the fishing industry is in the hands of a group of speculators and exploiters. It is almost wholly controlled, through the Seamen’s Union and the Bureau of Industry, by Mr Doyle’s own Government. SINKER.