HERRING CATCH

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23288, 25 August 1945, Page 3

HERRING CATCH

“Quick-freeze” Plants "Quick-freeze' plants to deal with herring - surpluses are being opened this year, one at Fraserburgh and a second at Yarmouth, as one means of seeing that the utmost use is made of Britain’s increasing fish supplies. Colonel J J Liewellin, the late Minister of Food gave Hie news in London before his resignation. An experimental plant at Aberdeen last year “quick froze" 100 tons of herring a week. This year, said the Minister, the methods were being tried on a commercial scale. It was hoped at least to double or treble the quantity through the establishment of the new plants. Fish frozen bv this method would keep for two years, but the aim was to keep the fish up to the period ol a year or so to enable customers to have herring all the vear round Of the present position. Colonel Liewellin said that the several Government departments concerned were working closely together to see that more fish could be caught, handled, and got on to the fishmongers slabs "We are getting 270 trawlers back Horn Ihc Admiraltv. ol which 84 are already fishing and 97 are unde) conversion at the moment." he said. "It should be realised, however that there is an inevitable time-lag in releasing the ships and putting them on to fishing. Guns and minesweeping tackle have to be removed. In nearly every case the fish hold has been used for crews' quarters, and it is quite a substantial job for the shipyards '’