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THE DEFECTIVENESS OF OUR AUSTRALIAN FISH SUPPLY.


That fish should be, comparatively speaking, so scarce in Australia can
only be regarded in the light of a national calamity. And not only is
the supply deficient, but what little there may be is so outrageously
expensive that it is hopelessly beyond the reach of an ordinary purse.
It is so excessive in cost that it must almost be bracketed with
poultry as a luxury only to be indulged in after lengthened periods. I
have been told, when making inquiries on this point, that the reason
why fish is so dear is that this is not a fish-eating community, and
that consequently there is no demand for it. But, on the other hand, I
find that almost everyone I ask is really fond of fish, and that they
do not eat it simply because they cannot obtain it at a reasonable
price, and this undoubtedly is the true explanation.

But this same scarcity of fish has exercised other people besides
myself, for Mr. Alexander Oliver and many others have repeatedly drawn
attention to the same deficiency. It has been the primary origin of a
Board of Fisheries, it had brought forth Parliamentary Select
Committees, and it has produced endless opinions and suggestions on the
part of the public. Now, I am quite willing to admit that there
should be proper supervision over the working of the Fisheries Acts,
and that existing grievances should be rectified; but, with all due
deference, it seems to me that the finger has not been placed on the
exact reason why failure occurs in our fish supply. For I say this,
that you may do what you will to protect and supervise the shore and
inland fisheries, and you may even increase the yield from these
sources to an encouraging extent, but that till the deep-sea work is
thoroughly taken up and properly developed there will be no cheap fish
for Australia. It has been stated that if the deep-sea fisheries of the
United Kingdom fell through from any reason, half-a-million of its
inhabitants would be brought face to face with starvation. And even
these enormous figures include only the fisher-folk themselves, and do
not take into account the vast army of buyers, curers, dealers, &c.,
who are dependent for their very existence upon the fishing industry.
Take away the deep-sea fisheries from the old country, and its whole
fish supply would practically be at an end. In the same way by the
development of our Australian deep-sea fisheries--and by the
development of the deep-sea fisheries only--will it be possible, in my
humble opinion, to increase the supply and cheapen the price of fish so
that it will form part of the dietary in every dwelling.

There was an important select committee appointed by the Victorian
Government, a short time ago, to inquire into the unsatisfactory
condition of the fishing industry there. It examined a great number of
witnesses, and its investigations extended over a large area. Amongst
other things, with a view of encouraging trawling operations, it was
suggested--


"That a careful survey be made of the sea-bottom in the neighbourhood
of our coasts and in Bass' Straits, and the part suitable for
trawling properly charted. That a few sets of trawling apparatus of the
most modern kind be procured by the Government, and Applications
invited from the fishermen at the various ports for permission to use
these trawls, free of charge, under certain conditions for a limited
period. That the Government fit out a steamer for the purpose of
collecting and conveying to Melbourne the fish obtained by the
trawlers, the steamer to be provided with cooling chambers, &c."


A number of different matters were also considered, and, in addition,
it was thought that, in order to afford the general public greater
facilities for obtaining fish, the sale should not be confined to the
metropolitan market. It was, therefore, recommended that stalls in the
various markets for the sale of fish by auction and otherwise should be
opened in the leading suburbs of Melbourne; and that the corporation
officer in the metropolitan market, to whom the fish was consigned,
should regularly distribute to each of these suburban markets such a
quantity of fish as experience would show the particular locality
demanded. To a certain extent all this is very satisfactory, but
unfortunately select committees have arrived at very similar
conclusions over and over again. All their recommendations have never
yet been attended by any practical result, and an adequate fish supply
for Australia appears to be as far off as ever.