SURPLUS CATCH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21323, 18 April 1939, Page 6

SURPLUS CATCH

Fishermen Refuse Basic Price

Recent Reduction Not Acceptable

By Telegraph —Press Association DUNEDIN, April 17

There was a large supply of fish on the Dunedin market this morning and the refusal of the Port Chalmers fishermen to dispense of the surplus to exporters at the basic price fixed by the latter resulted in the return of approximately three hundredweight of fish to the fishermen to-day. Some time ago an arrangement was entered into between the fishermen and exporters by which the surplus fish that was not required by local retailers would be taken over by exporters at a certain price. Comparatively recently, on account of the uncertain state of the Australian market for New Zealand fish, exporters felt compelled to reduce the basic price payable to the fishermen for their surplus catch, an action that was not acceptable to the fishermen who subsequently took steps to ally themselves with the Seamen’s Union with the intention of protecting their interests. Until this morning supplies of fish reaching the local market were not more than could be absorbed through the usual retail channels, but to-day the fishermen refused to sell three hundredweight of the surplus to the exporters at the latters’ price, with a result that for the first time for a number of years the fish were returned to Port Chalmers.