1944-45

VICTORIA

REPORT

OF THE

STATE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

ON THE

FISHING INDUSTRY

PRESEXTIW TO HIS EXCELLE:>l"CY THI~ GOVERNOR IX COUXCIL A:>l"D JAID BEFORE BOTH

HOCSES OF PARLlA~lE:'-IT PURSUAXT TO THE PROVISIO:'-IS OF THE STATE DEVELOPMENT

ACT 1941 (No. 4875).

f,tl l\ ntlunitn

H. E. DAW, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, MELBOURNE.

No. :!6.-[ls.]-13456/44.

THE STATE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.

The Hon. ,J. H. Lu~NHOP. :\l.L.C. (Chairman).

Jlr. K. DouusHl'N. Jl.L.A. (Vic(•-Chairman).

Tlw Hon. W. P. B.~HRY. ::\l.L.A.

}lr. W. H. CunnNu. :\l.l ... A.

The Hon. W. I~. :\lci\.J~NZIE, JLL.A .

..\Ir. H. P. h\L\R. Jl.L..\.

SCOPl'J OF THI<~ UO:\L\II'I'T11JlD't-l POWI:Dit1-\ OF !D:IQUIHY.

(a) 'l'lw balanced eeonomie. intl ustrial. and rum I d\~ndopment of the 1-\tato.

(1>) thP decentralization of industrial aetivitiPs <111d the (listribution of population in tlw State ;

(t) the improYement of the gem>ral oeonomi<· \Wlfare

(d) the <111lelioration or the eondition:;; of indu:.;trial all<l

State ;

in the Btate ;

(P) the organization and deYelopment of primctry. S~'('OHdary. and other iudmltries in the Stat(• to meet cowlition:,; arising from the pre;-;Pnt war and the re>orgauization of such industries after tlw war :

(.f) any other relonwt n1atters or things.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

THE STATE J)~;v~:LOPME:\T uo~nilTTF:B:

INTRODUCTION

\Vitnesse~

THE FrsrH.'<G INDUSTRY

'l'rtEAn1E.'>IT AND SToRAGE

Freezing, &c.

Canning

TRANSPORT

Rail

Road

.Air

~fARKETTNG

(i-ENERAL

Rrwo~r~IENDATinxs

ScHEflPL~c

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REPORT.

lJ is Excellency M ajar-General Sir WIN STUN ,J OSEl'H Duu.lN. Km:ght Grand Cross (~f the il!fost Distinguished Order of Saint lvlichael and Saint George. Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. Cornpanion of the Distingu/ished Sen·1·cr Order. Governor of the State of Yictoria and its /)e7wndenr·1·es iu the Com/JIOIIII'ectlth of Anstralia. &c., &c., &c.

::\Lw TT PLEASE Y<wn Exct<:LLENCY :

In aceordam:f~ with tlw req uircnwnts of Hedion 16 of the State Development Act 1941. as amended by the State Developme1d Act 1943. the State DEvelopment Committee has the honour to snhmit. the following l'P}lOrt.

JNTHODUC'Pl<)N.

At the request of tlw StatP Uovernment. the State Devolopment Committee appointed on the Hth da:· of August. 1943. under the provisions of Act No. 4875. a;;; subseguentl:r amended. deeided that it shonld next inquire into and report to the Governor in Council on eonditions in the fishing industry generallv. the organization and development of it to meet eonditionH arising from the preRent war. and the reorganization of such industry after the prpsent war.

A comprehensive investigation of the indu~:>try W!ti'i undertakmL and during the euuri'ie of the inquiry the members of the Committee made personal inspections of various fishing ports and harbour facilitieR in order to aequaint themselves. at first hand. with the present condition;;; in the trade and to inform their minds of Heveral matters upon which many of their subsequent reeommendatiom; ha\-e been based.

Several expert witnesses wer<> invited to givP evidence and at all the fi;;;hing centres visited general invitations wen• extended to all bodit·R and associations who wished to be heard aud had some material evidence to offer to the Committee to assist it iu its deliberations. In addition. much helpful information was obtainPd from a numhN of memoranda, reports, and articles receiwd from various personR and organizations.

The following fifty-snven witnesses representative of a variety of interests and a wide range of viewR wen~ examined :

:VIr. F . .J. HAASI<1. Jianaging Director. SPafresh Seafoods Pty. Ltd.

)Jr. (i. Hnm:ns. Actiug As::-;istant Ueneral Supt~rintendcnt of 'l'ramportation. :VIr. 13. K ELLY. Commissioners' Representative. Victorian Hail ways.

J.Ir. F. LEWIS. Chief Inspector, Fisheries and Game Department.

:Jir. H. YI. ANSB~TT. Direetor. An1>ett Airwavs Ltd.

:Vlr. H. W. HARRISON, Seeretary. Chamber of Automotive Industries.

1\Ir. "\\''. M. DAvwsoN. lVJanagPI'. Industrial and Donwstic Equipment Company,

Division of General Ylotors-Holden's Lt(l.

l\Ir. T. U. CoMI'TOX. SuperiuteiHlent of }larket:,;.

l\lr. L. ){. PJ<:RIUN. Munager, Vietmi;m Fishermen's Association.

:VIr. F. J. HlLL, Agent.

}fr. ,J. J. NAVAca;. Bout Buil<ler and Designer.

Mr. W. H. CRoLE. Fishernm11 and Boat Builder. Newhaven.

31r. H. A. E.'\.STON, FishernmJL San Hemo.

Mr. \\'. H. L. CROFTS. FiRherman. San Hemo.

Cr .. J. 0. EDHot·~m, Phillip 1sland.

!)

.Mr. J. LILLf1;Y, San [{(;nw.

Mr. ,J. W. ANSTIS. Ran Bemo.

Mr . .J. A. ll. SrLLIVAN, .Manager, Lakes Salmon Company.

J\:lr. A .. J. CARSTAIRS, Fisherman, Lakes Entrance. Mr. H. K. ::VliTCHELSOX. FishcrmaJJ, Entranee. -:\Ir. J. n. GRAY. Fisherman. Lake;;; l~ntranee.

Mr. A. ( '. ::vrrrcHELSoN. Vi:·dH·rnmJL Lak<~s Entrane<~.

::Vir. ~. C. STEPHENSON, Fislwnnnn. Port \Velshpool. :Ylr. A. H. It SMITH. FislwrnwJJ. Port \\'Plshpool. J[r. U. ( '. \'. Frrz. Fisherma11. Port Ji'ranklin. Mr. T . . I. C'oGHLAN. FiRlwrman. Port Vmnkliu. Mr. <'. A. ~. RoDJ<;Bu;ND, Fi:'ihernmn, Port Frank in. Jlr. R. HoLLINGSWORTH. Port Alhert. ::VIr. C. GouLDEN, Jrisherman. Port Albert. )\Jr. A. G. H. Hl\IITH. Fislwrman. l>ort AUwrt. Mr. T. ( ' .• JARRET'L Fislwnmn1. Portland. ::VIr. C. S. Fn1n>ERIC:KS. Fisherman. Portland. i\Tr. 1{. V. l\EILLEH. Loeal }Janager. ThomaH Borthwiek mH1 Son,H (Aw.;tralaHia)

LimitPcL Portland Fn·ezlllg Work;;;. Mr . . ] . 1Yb~:NZIES, Harhour :Vfaster. Portland. }[r. W. H. HALDANE. FiRherman. Port Fairv. }lr .• T. PETERSI<JN. Fisherman. Port Fairy. :\Ir. H. H. HALDAN~;. Harhom MaRter. Port Fair.y . . Mr. J. MnR, Fisherman. Apollo Hay.

}fr. L. ALLAN. Fi;.;rwrma.n, Apollo Ba.'·· Mr. E W. BATRON. Transport Opemtor. Apollo BaY.

Mr. U. lVIcN. STEPH ENS. Fislwrman. QneenRcliff. Mr. P. T. LocKE. Boat Builder, Qtwt~nHeliff.

}lr. T. THWAITES. lfi~dwrman, Qnt·t~nHcdiff.

:\Jr .. J. W. W.\HRK:\. Fislwrman. (~ueenseliff.

}lr. .J. (biNS. FishermmL Que<"mwliff. }lr. A . .J. FRASER, Chairman. Transport Hq.rulation Board.

:\'Ir. A. INGLIS, Secrdary, :\'[orris Perr·.'· and Co.

The Hon. T. K. MAUrBY. M.L.A. }Jr. F. F. FLETCHER, Fisherman ami Carrim·. Lorne. :\'Ir. C. E. FRANCE. Fishmonger. Mr. F. PowEH, Fi::;hrnong<'r.

}fr. IJ. 8. STEYENSON. ( 'hief Engineer, Public' Works DnpartnJt•nt. }Jr. vY. E. DowNEY. Chief Engineer, Werner and C'o. Mr. L. McD. STEELE, Hefrigeration Ji~ngine<'r. HPprPRPntative of 'l'lw AuHtraliall

Itu;titute of Hd'rigeration. Mr. H.. LtTKE. Managing Dire<:tor, J)a.,·id Hdand Hnd Sons Pty. Ltd. Mr. C .. J. KNmHT. :\'Iarine Foods Ltd. }Ir. K H. FRASEIC ( 'ontnwtor.

THE FISHlX(; INDn.;'I'HY.

For very maiJY ~·ear:;; Victoria ha:;; suffnn\d the lack of an adpquate fiHh supply, particularly in .-<ome country ar<'as wlwre the onl.'· fish <'Y(•r ohtainahk wa;;; the imported. tinned product.

Of the fresh fish supplies 11xailable, the choice varieties most eagerly sought by the public--garfish, schnapper. flounder. bream, and 'vhiting- comprise only 9 per cent. of the average 10,000.000 lb. approximately of fi;.;h marketed annually in this State.

G

X ormally. tbere is a limitrd demand for the eommo11 Yarieties-~harracouta. Ralmon, ~hark, mullet,, and flathead~-which constitute approximately 8:3 per cent. of the annual amount marketed. If the supply of these fish is greater than the usual demand for them, the market is glutted, there is a wastage of the surplus and a reduction in price. In fear of creating such a glut, some fishermen have adopted the praetice of liiniting catches of barraconta and similar fish with consequent loss to the food supplies of the general public .

.Experience throughout the world has shown that the greatest aggregations of commercially valuable fish are always confined to the large sheltered areas, bays, inlets, &c., and to the comparatively shallow waters of the continental shelf of the country roncerncd. The Australian continental shelf is so narrow that the total trawlable area~-­that is, waters not deeper than 200 fathoms- comprises approximately 10,000 square miles only. as compared with the 700,000 square miles available to the British Fishing Industry.

Marine conditions generally in Victorian waters are such that probably a limited increase only, can be expected in the future supply of the choice varieties of fish which are taken from the inlets, rivers, estuaries, and bays, some of which are now being fished to capacity. Supplies of the common varieties of fish can he increased to <1 much greater extent, and all avenues of propaganda should be utilized to popularize them with a wider section of the public.

The Committee believes that the haphazard antiquated practices of the industry must he replaced by more modern operations so that, in addition to obtaining some increase, a great deal of wastage will be el"minated by the adoption of several improvements in the methods of handling the catches, transporting the fish and marketing them, in respect of which matters certain recommendations are made subsequently in this report.

When sufficient data concerning the breeding habits, &e., of sharks has been collected by the fi;;:hing authorities. it may be possible to extend the activities of this phase of the industry. At present, however, the nearer waters are showing signs of depletion, and fishermen are compelled to travel distances up to 100 miles to eat.(·h this type of fiRh, which is now in great demand for its oil. as well as for itR flesh.

Fil'hing has the disadvantage of being, to a large extent, a Aeasonal occupation. The fluctuation in the size of catches causes gluts and slumps on the market and consequent instability in prices.

At present, prices being high, there is less incentive to obtain greater supplies of fish which would have the effect of depressing these prices. The irregularity of the eatches and the attendant inability to forecast accurately the transport requirement:;; from time to time cause further serious problems to arise.

The position has become more pronouneed since wartime restrictions have had a considerable effect on the operations of road transport services, and coal shortages have caused serious curtailment of railway services. An unexpected or unusually large catch may well result in much wastage because of the inability to market it before it becomes bad. A sudden rise in temperature may cause a Rimilar result.

In one district at least the fishermen must cease operating after the middle of each week, for lack of train transport between then and the beginning of the next week. l~ven in the present difficult circumstances some better transport arrangements than these should be made to enable these men to continue fishing throughout the whole week and so add appreciably to the supplies at present reaching the market.

Except in one instance the supply of fish on the market is not regulated after the catch is made. At Gippsland Lakes the salmon is penned in wire-netting enclosures in the water and kept alive until required.

The shortage of manpower and equipment and the requisitioning of some fishing vessels eomeguent on the impact of war, have added to the usual problems of the industry. The transfer of population from country centres, where fresh fish was not normally obtainable, to the metropolis has eaused a greater demand than t'Ver before in this area.

The number of men engaged in the industry has hc;en rt'dueed by approximately 300 in recent years. and a large proportion of those remaining in this arduous, and frequently dangerous, occupation is in the upper agE" groups. The result has been a wartime decline in the amount of fish caught from approximately 1L360,000 lb. in 1U38 to 8,77;5,000 lb. in 1242. Supplies to the public generally have been restricted still further by the growth of " black market " activities resulting in the diversion of a substantial proportion of the supplies from the public markets.

7

THE.AT:\IEXT AXJ) HTOHA<iK

Fi;:.;h fmm oJH' of our moRt peri,\lwhlf' primar.v productR. Tltey begin to (kter.orat1· a~ soon as they are caught for immedintPy JlRh die the had~:•ria pn•sent iu the slime increase. and unless some cooling or freezing agent is t>mploved tlw process of deterioration become.~ complete in a relatively fevv clay;:.;.

At present. tht• treatme11t and storage of fish are in mam· eases most unsati,..,factorv. After being caught by the fislwrmen tlw fiRh an• taken to the· nearest port and packed .in boxes supplied h.\· the agents. Tlw sanw huxes are us<?d time after tinw and are quite unsuitable from a haderiologieal point of YiPw. A~ light. clwap container or box. which could be destroyed afher use. or a light non-corroRiY!' nwt.al or plastic contain<~r with an imperviouR Rurface would hP cl(•;uwr ancl much mon• Ra.nitary. AftN being boxed the fish are then left standing in the o~wn freqw'ntl.\· in the ;.;nn until thP tran::.;port anives for them. A sudden ris1• in tPmywratnn· during thi;.; pPriod may <·.nmw much of thP ea.teh to deteriorate.

The tran::.;port is almost invariahl_v an unrefrigerated \ elJide. but it may contain iee or other cooling facilitie;.;. After tile journey to }lelhounw then:' is at times another delay. e.g., at the railway yards. before the fish are expm<ed for ;.;a]p in the market. Ruhsequently, they are takt>n to the retail shops and allowed to lie on slabs. still UJH•leanecl. with the gut still in them until sold to tht> pnblie. B.v thi:;; time the people obtain a food which is in a condition Yen· inferior to that in which it eould and should he. 'This is t lw onh- A u:;;tra.lian State in whi~h uncleanf'd TII"h (·an lw sold to eonRunwrs. ·

l:nder present condition;.; this inahility of fishermen to forward regular and constant supplies causes transport difficultie,_, and consequent additional dela.v in the transfer of fish to the market. 'ThiR inability to regulate the Hupply is. in normal times. tlw cause of gluts on the market whten prices fall Hncl largP quantiti('s of fish are wasted.

Adequate storage facilities at the points of eateh would n11sun· a mort=;. regular Rupply which would obviate many of the pre.st)llt transport diffleult.ies. Fishermen would 1w encouraged to make the maximum catches possible. the usual large wastages would he avoided, prices stabilized. and the public would rPceive mnch greater supplies of fish in a better and more attractivP l'ondition.

'FREEZINC:. E'IT.

There are several types of plant whwh eould lw in,_,taJled at the points of catch for the treatment and storage of fiRh until required for transport to market. fn a cool store fish chilled at 20 or 30 degrees in assoeiatio11 with iee would keep in good condition for about three weeks. The ice is neeesRary to give off moisture. \Vith ice present, the moisture necessary to maintain the balance of humidity is given off. half from the ice and half from the fish which thus remain in good condition. In the absence of ice. the whole of tht' moisture is given off from the fish alone.

'To chill, it is necessary to reduce the temperature to approximately 30 to 35 degree~ whereas, to freeze, the tcmpt;ratm·(~ muHt be brought right down to zero. This requires a larger more expensive rnachirw thtn for chilling. hut the result is that frozt>n fiRh will keep in good condition indefinitely.

A g]mple wooden cool ~ton' eontammg an <'ngine-drivt;n refrigerator capable of chilling approximately 3,000 boxes of fish and at th(; ~anw time producing one ton of ice per day, would cost approximately £4.500. For the expt>tHliture of an additional £500, part of the interior could lw ::;o illl·mlatt>d and pipt•d that a certain amount of ('OJnplete freezing eould he done.

A smaller plant would be relatively dearer. For iustance, a similar unit capabh' of holding 750 boxes of fisb which could hP frozen or (·hilled would nost approximately £2,750. ThiR plant would aiRo proYidJ> a half ton of ice daily.

A third type of freezing plant. without any facilities fur making ice. but mtpahlP of ptttting through lmlf a ton of shark daily. would cost approximatf;h· £1.100 in all.

Any of these plants should be of such a eap~wit.'' a8 to enablP it to do a fixed daily output and to cope with tlw peak intake as it comes in from time to time. Engine-driven plant requires the serYices of an engineer or engineers to run it. Of course, if the owner of such plant also undertook t.o :·mpervisce and control the operation of the machinery, tlw expenses would bP eonsidera hly reduced.

·whenever electricity rmpplicii can possibly he brought in, advantage Rhould be taken of them to install automatic electric plant,. The capital cost of such plant would be cheaper than the engine-driven variety and the maintenance cost apart from the power, would be negligible, as, except for requiring oiling occasionally, it would be self operating. Unfortunately, very many of the fishing districts are not supplied with electricity, and the Committee considers that the State Electricity Commission might well explore the practicability of bringing to all these ports such supplies as would ensure that any chilling or freezing project undertaken by the local fishermen would he a complete financial success. In those districts where such extension;;; are contemplated the work should he expedited.

At present, all that is necessary at most of the points of cateh is refrigeration facilities capable of storing the fish in a chilled condition for ~>everal days until they can eventually be taken to the market.

Even after being chilled for a week, fish intended for ordinary use could still be frozen at the market or elsewhere. if necessary. Filleted fish, however, should be frozen as soon as possible.

Filleted fish generally are "snap". "shoek ", or "quick" frozen, whilst sharks are " sharp " frozen. There is no real difference in the actual food values, but there is a difference in the presentation of the fish for marketing, for the quicker it is frozen the better it keeps. " Sharp " freezing of large whole fish or boxes of them is considered slow in comparison with the other three methods which are almost inRtantaneous. Because of the rapid deterioration of fish after death, " snap " or " quick " freezing of filleted fish should be carried out within a few hours of the time they are taken from the water.

The fish are wrapped up after filleting and frozen at zero or below in an hour or two. The fillets are then packed in cartons and stored in a 10\v temperature chamber until transported to the retailers. After transfer to Melbourne in refrigerated containers they are held again in low temperature cool stores where they will keep in good condition almost indefinitely.

Although this process to a limited extent is being operated successfully at present, it is not considered practicable or desirable for an attempt to be made in the near future to convert the whole of the industry to this method of treatment and storage. Apart from the large amount of capital necessary to develop it, it would undoubtedly bring in its train many problems of marketing.

As a general rule, and whatever process is used, fish Rhould be cleaned at the points of catch before being chilled or frozen as most of the bacterial breakdown after death is caused by the bacteria contained in the gut of the fish which should be removed as soon as possible. All soft bellied fish should be cleaned immediately because, if they are packed in a case for transport, they will often bruise and burst on the journey. Besides doing damage to themselves they will then contaminate any other fish if any fracture has occurred in their skins.

Loose ice in which the catch could be placed as soon as obtained would be of great assistance to cff shore fishermen, and refrigerated boats for shark and other deep sea fishing would allow the boats to stay out until they had obtained a full load. It may be practicable for groups of fishermen or the marketing authority to employ a refrigerated mother ship which could sail to wherever the deep sea boats may be at work, relieve them of their catches, and transport them direct to the market.

CANNING.

In Victorian wate1s, as elsewhere, the surface or floating fish such as barraeouta and mullet are quite suitable for canning. Although these fish are among the most plentiful of our ccmmon varieties, a regular adequate supply of them cannot be relied on at any time. The quantities of barracouta in any particular area fluctuate considerably. Sometimes plentiful, at other tirnrs very scarce, it is not a type which can be used as a basis for canning operations.

There may be. some possibility of canning it where there are existing canneries in operation, but an attempt made during the last two or three years to do so failed for lack of barracouta at the critical time. Mullet and salmon are good canning fish, but also are subject to fluctuations in the quantities which may be obtained. Although tuna is suitable there is insufficient reliable information available about it in Victorian waters.

!i

For some time. the market lms lwPll t->nffPring from all insuH-i(:iPnt supply of fresh fish and, until thiR shortage has been ovnrconw. tlwre is not likely to lw suffic:ient quant,ities of these varieties available for canning.

In all the eircumstanees, the Committee is of the opinion that fish canning in Victoria is not practicable on a large scale unless the cannery bases its aetivitie.-:; on other produets as well as fish. In eertaii1 areas, for instane(', it may be possible to keep the plant in continuous operation hy tombining the canning of fi:.;h with th~' canning of rabbits or some other meat or vegetableR.

THAXKP()HT'.

Until about fifteen years ago. praetically all fish n'c.(:in'd in Melbourne (except that from the near bayside localitiet->) was carried l)\' rail. Because of its gn:ater flexibility and convenience, road traffic has entered into con;petition with rail tnm;port in rt:cent years. with the result. that the annual tonnage of fi;;;h carried on the railways declined from 5,523 tons in 1932, to 2,288 tons in 1938. 'rlw.reafter, tlH' war VPar,.; showPd <Hl increase, again due., no doubt. to the restriction:-~ otl road tr;tnsport.

HATL.

Fish transport generally in recent tinw,.; hus been unsatisfactory. Tlw nneertainty and the spasmodic nature of the traffic is the cause of many diffieulties. Hometinws then· is very little fish offering, at other times particularly largp catdws may ha n~ to be moved. The catches are frequently obtained and brought in at a timE' which does not correspond with the fixed railway schedule. because the total tonnage of fisl1 from an.v locality in the State is not of sufficient volume to justify a train spr,·i('e PSpl·<·iallv dP,.;ignPd for that traffic.

rf'o obtain a refrigerated railway truck. which Dl<l)' he of twelVP Ol' fifteen tom.; capacity, for the transport of fish from thn points of cateh. it is JH'('Pssary to order at least a day before it is required. ln the cas<' of Orbost. at least two days notice must bt> given. This is necessary in order to give th<> Hailways Vepartn1ent tinw to ice the truck at Melbourne before despatching it to its destination. Because it i;:; a one-wa.'i traffic the Department charges fn,ight on a minimum tonnagn of ;tpproximately tPn tons.

As it would be wasteful for fishernwn to pay tlwse charges for negligible catches, it is not the practice for them to make srweial arrangements for the T'l'gnlar nse of :.;nch vehicles, but to order them from time to time as req nirnl. Owing to the lack of facilities for holding fish at the ports, it is usual to order such tran:.;port hefon· the ('akh is actually landed. It is impossible to foresee accurately' how successful the fisbt'rmen·s <'fforts will he and, at times, such trucks are ordered and arrive· at tlwir destinations to find the expected catches have not been made. The life of the ice in tlwse trncks is approxi nmtely fiw days and. even if the catch is only delayed, the additional wait of a day or nwn' may n'Rnlt in the ice melting and the truck becoming valueless as n rpfrig.·ra.h'(l Yehiel<·.

A second type of railway truck n:,;ed for the tran.sport of fish is the louvre truck which contains no ice but is air-cooled when in nwtion. I11 some place:; it is the practice of the fishermen to ice the fish in boxes prior to eonRigning them in tlw:.;e trncks ; but a::; the fish have not even been chilled in a eool store prior to theit· (·onsignnwnt. this means of transport is also unsatisfactory.

However, if adequate chilling or freezing faeilitiPI' wore in::;talled at the points of catch, the railways could be used satisfactorily for the eaniage of fish from the more rliHtant parts of the State at cheaper rates of freight than otlH·r formR of transport. Tn these circumstances there would be no neces;;;itv to order trucks until the catch had been made and exact requirements ascertained. Smail catches evuld be held until a truck was obtained. and any surplus stored until the following consignment was to be SPnt. Tf it happened that fish were caught and brought in at a time which did not ('OTTt'SJHmd with the railway schedule. they could be plae<'d in the cool :.;tore nntil despatched h.\' tlw next suitahk train.

However, if the railways arc to be utilized for the carriage of . over these longer journeys, the vehieles used should be properly insulated truch for that specifi(: purpose. To obviate all avoidable delays, the trucks should be iced by the consignor at thP point of catch when this is practicable. Provided the trucks are refrigerated, minor dela:·s of some hours in the railway yards would not effect the eonsigmnents. but t.he trucks should remain closed until such time as the f1sh are collected.

10

Refrigerated semi-trailer truck.

HoAD.

Owing to the fact that road transport is not restricted to a fixed schedule of hours of despatch and is more convenient, in providing direct cartage from the point of catch to the market, it has taken an ever increasing share of this traffic in recent years, particularly over the shorter routes. Some of these vehicles have been unrefrigerated motor trucks. Some of them, rlescribed as refrigerated trucks, have simply open tray bodies on which are placed the insulated fish containers, thick wooden boxes, in which the fish are packed in ice.

There was a difference of opinion among the witnesses as to the necessity for refrigerated motor vehicles for the transport of chilled fish taken from cool stores and carried at night over short distances only. It was suggested that for short journeys, unrefrigerated motor vehicles could transport chilled fish speedily through the cool night, when no termmal or traffic delays would be experienced, and deliver them at the point of cliAtribution in almost the same condition as they left the cool Rtore.

However, the Committee is of the opinion that, generally. road vehicles as well as railway trucks used for the transport of chilled fish should be iced and well insulated. Frozen fish should be carried in well insulated transports fitted with hold-over tanks to maintain the temperature at as low a degree as possible until the fish reach the market. They would then be in first-class condition when they were transferred to frozen storage there. This would mean that the fish did not leave frozen storage facilities from the time they were actually frozen at the point of catch.

Such a refrigerated motor truck capable of holding up to one and a half tons of fish would cost approximately £1,000. Bigger transports or semi-trailers capable of serving several ports on the one journey might cost as much as £2,000-£2,300 each. Some of these could be uual purpose vehicles with separate iced compartments. Various large commercial companies which own anrl operate refrigerated transport of similar types apparently find that running costs compare favourably with railway freight charges.

AIR.

In air transport operations, it is essential to obtain the maximum flying hours daily, and to have regularity of service to keep operational costs down to a figure in any wa.'· comparable with road and rail transport. It has been found extremely difficult to obtain regular loadings by concentrating on perishable goods alone. If regular loadings of fish were obtajned one-way back loadings of some other commodity would be necessary to share the costs of transport which would be prohibitive if borne by the fish alone. In the circumstances. it is considered that air transport will not have much part in the carriage of fish in tlw near futnre.

YIARKETING. Although the l\lelhourne Fi~;h l\Iarket serves a useful purpose in acting as a marshalling

point at which inspection can be made of all fish passing thr01:gh on its way to the publie. the condition of affairs there at present leaves much to he desired.

In the Market there are seven agents who lease space and refrigeration from the Melbourne City Council. The fish are either sold immediately they arrive or are placed in the cool store until auctioned. At present there are thirteen licensed fish auctioneers

11

there employed by the agents. and t,he sales take place simultaneously. This is, of eonnw. had from the point of view of the sellers as \Yell as the buyers. There is reaF~on to belien• that a quantity of the fish 1s not auetionerl at all, and that some agents purchase for their own retail shops and also act as buying and forwarding for eountry and other buyers. The Committee is of the opinion that, in peaeetime as well as wartime, a competent authority should have the power to control the selling priee of fish for each of the seasons. and to ensure that all fish intended for consumption within the Metropolitan Area ar<> offered for sale by the Melbourne nmrkebng authority in snc>h a manner as to secure a fair distribution of supplies to wholesalers, retailers. and public utilities. To attain this end it would he necessary for the marketing authority to regi:;;ter all fish buyers and to prohibit any of them from purchasing on any one day more than a certain pereentage of the supplies reaching the market. In these circumstanees. it is considered that the use of agents at the Melbourne Fish Market is unnecessary and undesirable.

Where arrangements are in force for the supply of fish direct from various ports to country areas or special processing plants, a system of inspection of quality and price should be undertaken at the cool stores recommended for the points of catch. In these eases thP fish should be cleaned before despatch from the cool storPs.

Although for some branches of the trade fish is cleaned at the market, a great part of the quantity sold is distributed in an uncleaned state. These fish are cleaned in the retail shops after purchase, and the offal which could be used to great advantage is wasted. The market facilities for eleaning and washing fish are obsolete and totally inadequate. The most modern facilities including the provision of running water for the cleaning of fish should be provided and the transport of uncleaned fish from the market prohibited. Some effieient means of thoroughly cleansing the fish boxes daily should be enforced, and the market itself should be hosed down and disinfected daily. The present insanitary practice of throwing fish on the floor should be obviated by the provision of metal or concrete Fmrfaces on which to place the catches.

PORTS AND HARBOU11S.

At present most Victorian fishermen operate their O\V11 fishing boats and gear the hays, inlets, rivers, and the shallow inshore waters where the choice varieties of fish and some of the common varieties are caught. Some fishermen, however, work further afield in offshore waters and, for shark fishing in particular, use larger and more expensive craft.

From time to time owing to weather conditions and the lack of safe, sheltered harbours, fishing boats are severely damaged or sunk \vith consequent heavy financial loss to their owner-operators who cannot obtain insurance against such disasters. Naturally many fishermen are reluctant to invest large sums of money in better boats, or bigger, better equipped, and more costly craft. The risk of loss must also act as a deterrent to some hundreds of young men returning from the defence forces 1vho could readily be absorbed hy the fishing industry if it were placed on the sound financial basis which would result from the adoption of the recommendations made in this report.

The Committee's own personal inspection of va.rious ports and harbours throughout the State and the considerable body of evidence adduced at these places, left no roo:r~ for doubt that, many localities, the port and harbour facilities available for the fishing industry are inadequate and, in some eases, afford little protection and less convenience

Typical fishing port, the boat harbour of which has been rendered unusable by siltation.

12

for the .fishing boats employed in those particular areas. The shortcomings in elude siltation restricting the amount of water usable in some ports : lack of breakwaters and slipways ; immffieient quay area necessitating double banking at the berths ; damaged and inadequate piers and jetties; lack of boat harbours; disrepair of wharves some of which are deficient in ramps and low level decks; and the necessity for more navigational aid lights, beacons, &c.

To overcome these difficulties and to provide more favourable conditions for landing the catches and more satisfactory and safer facilities for the shipping engaged in the fishing industry, the Committee recormnends that a systematic plan of campaign covering the works set out in the Rchedule to this report be put into operation with the least possible delay to raise these ports and harbours by successive stages to the necessary standards of efficiency. This would require the dredging, from time to time. of various ports, the erection of adequate breakwaters to afford much needed protection in some waters, reconditioning and alteration of wharves, &e., and additions and extensions to them, provision of slipways to enable the fishermen to work on their boats in local areas, and the establishment of navigational aid lights and beacom: to light channels and indicate entrances to anchorages, &e.

There is no adequate reason why these works should not be commenced >vithout delay, and it is considered that the minimum essential improvements whieh should be undertaken immediat~?l_v would cost approximately £372,000.

GENEHAL. The cost of a firHt-class fishing boat and the uece;;;sary equipment is so large as to

make a formidable obstacle to the entry of many young men into the industry. It is also a bar to the improvement in quality and size of some of the eraft at present engaged in the trade heeause the fishermen who, in the great majority of cases, desire to own the best vessels and gear available cannot obtain the necessary financial assistance without incurring added burdens in the form of high interest rates.

The ( 'ommittee is of the opinion that, in approved eases, suitable young men entering the industry, fishermen already established who desire to improve their craft and gear, and thoHe actually Pngaged in the local com:truetion of fishing boatR, should be able to obtain

Deep sea boat suitable for shark fishing, etc., of a type being constructed locally.

13

substantial loans from the State Government with a view of securing a clear title to their vessels and equipment within a reasonable time. The financial assistancP should be based on the lowest practicable deposits or equity and purely nominal rates of interest. It is understood that this assistance would be required principally by the neweomers to tlw industry as many of the present fishermen have no ned of financial assistane;:;.

The combination of fishermen and others engaged in the industry in co-opera.ti VP

societies would he a great inducement to the Government to make the necessary advances because these organizations would be able to accept the liability of repayments and would be much better " risks " than any individual. In addition. they could exert <t certain amount of pressure on any person wilfully evading his responsibilities. Such societies should also be in a position to obtain Government support or guarantees in eonnexion with the erection of the chilling and freezing faciliti"" r~>~ommended in this report, and. if their progress warrants it, in the provision of rdrigerated transport to the market. or in some cases, direct to country consumers without the intervention of any outside middlemen or retailers. A well organized body might also be capable of extendit~g its activities to eover the production of by-products such as fish meal and shark oil from tlw offal. &c .. of which a.t present so little use is made.

In addition, such co-operation would effect economies in manpower. fueL and fi:;hing­gear. as well as in the general production costs and the maintenance of the refrigerat<~d storage space and transport. The combination of the fishermen in these societies would also provide valuable avenues of communication between the fishing rese<"Lreh organizations, the State and Commonwealth Authorities. and the men engaged in the indn'ltty.

At present. the three governmental authorities acting in the iuterests of the fishing indm;try are the State Fisheries and Game Department, the Commonwealth Department, of War Organization of Industry, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. In peacetime, the task of supervising and controlling the aetivities of fishermen in Victorian waters will rest solely on the Fisheries and Game Department which is not representative of the industry as a whole and the authority of which, its field of operation and it;;; equipment and training for marine researeh. are limited.

It is eonsidered that in addition to this Department there Hhould lw appointed under the appropriate ::VIinister a permanent Fish Advisory Committee consisting of representatives of all branches of the fishing trade, including the fishermen, wholesale traders, marketing and transport authorities, and retail traders under the chairmanship of a Government nominee. Such an Advisory Committee would be of great assistanee in bringing about the reorganization of the industry on the lines suggested in reHpeet of the storage and treatment of fish, refrigerated transport. the formation of co-operative soeieties. the licensing of fishermen. marketing, price uontroL and financial aid or guarantees to the industry.

~ ~

It should be eapable of advising on the desirability of reviewing the present restrictions on the use of long lines and the opening of certain inlets. These are matters which thi.s State Development Committee considers should be reviewed provided that any librralization of the restrictions resulting from the revision should he consistent with the preservation of the neeei'il'lary fish stocks in our waters. Aetive mea~;ures should also lw taken by the Fisheries and (lame Department to bring about the destruction of crabs and seals whose operations are so harmful to the industry as a whole. and the fishermen m particular. Tt iR not necessary or desirable to c:ompletely exterminate the seals in State waterR, bnt to rednen their numberH to a point where their activitieR have a negligible effect on the trade.

The Committee considers that, in the post-war years. the present dose co-operation between the State Fisheries and Game Department anc1 tlw Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Hesearch should be continued. and that the research function~'< of the State Department should he expanded consider~.hly to employ the most modern equipment for all types of marine investigations. and to assist the fi;;;hcnnen with teehnieal demonstrations and adviee.

It is considered that nothing less than the complete overhaul of the industry on the lines advocated in this report will ensure that a stahilizt>d fishing trade wil1 lw able to provide adequate supplies of good quality fish to the public of the whole State at reasonable prieeH. and to this end the Committee stresses the need to make a Rnhstantial initial mow a;.; soon as possible.

14

RECO}lMENDATI ONR .

. In order to place the fishing industry on a sound basis and to ensure that much greater supplies of fish he made available to the public in a better and more attractive condition at reasonable prices, the Committee makes the following recommendations :---

(a) That at each of the principal point:;; of catch, cold storage facilities he provided eapahle of chilling a fixed daily intake and of coping with and providing storage space for several days for peak supplies of fish which may be obtained from time to time. In some few instances, such as at shark fishing points of catch, it may be necessary to provide freezing plant.

(b) That all avenues of publicity he utilized extensively to popularize the common varieties of fish for which there is only a limited public d.emand, although the supplies which are availahll' in our waters far exceed those of the choice varieties.

(c) That refrigerated rail and road tran.sport be used for the carriage of fish in bulk. whether to or from the market or from the points of catch direct to the retailers or eon;,;umers in eonntr.'· as well as in metropolitan areas. Although road transport may be more suitable for the short journeys, it would not necessarily be preferable to the railways services for haulage from the more di:-;tant ports.

(d) That the Melbourne Fish J!Iarket be improved and modernized to provide efficient chilling and freezing plant ; to extend the cool storage space from the present 65,000 euhic feet to 100,000 cubic feet for fish, and to provide the rno:-;t modern fc1eilities, inelnding the provision of running water for the eleaning and washing of fish. }lethods of cleansing the fish boxes and the market generally should he improved, and metal or concrete platforms pnn·ided for the reception of the catches.

(e) That all fish, except a fmY special typeK. be eleaned before being offered for sale hy retail to tlw pnblie. 'rlw appropriate places for cleaning are the cool stores at tlw pointR of cateh and the market. Fish meal and other by-produuts eould he obtaim1d from this ,·aluable material of which little use has been made in the past.

(f) That all fish intended for consumption within the Metropolitan Area be offered for ~ale at the :Yielbourne Fish J!Iarket, and that complete detailed records of 1mch sales he kept for inspection. when required. In respect of fish sold at the Yarious points of catch for consumption outside the Metropolitan Area, similar records should be kept of all large sales made t,o individual buyer;;;, groups of buyers, or companies.

(y) That the marketing authority-the }felbourne City Council-be charged with the supervision and control of fish sales within the Market thus obviating the employment of other agents and ensuring a fair distribution of supplies to wholesalers, retailers, and public utilities.

(h) That after the powers under the present National Security Regulations have been exhausted. a system of price eontrol so far as it relates to fish :-;hould be retained, and that prices be controlled by some competent aut,hority for each of the seasons of the year.

( i) That a :-;ystematic plan of campaign eovering the workH set out in the schedule to this report he commenced immediately to raise our ports and harbours to the necessary Rtandards of efficiency. This would involve dredging, Preetion of adequate breakwaters, reconditioning, alteration and extensions to piers, provision of slipways, navigational aid lights, &c., to an estimated expenditure of £372.000.

(j) Financial assistanue or guarantee:-; should be made available to the industry by the Rtate Government on the lowest practiuable deposit or equity, and purely nominal rates of interest for the purpose of obtaining or improving fiRhing craft or gear or providing refrigerated storage facilities or transport.

(k) That the combination of fishermen and others engaged in the industry, in eo-operative societies should be encouraged.

(/) That tlwre should be appointed under the appropriate :\Iinister a permanent Fish Advisory Committee consisting of representatives of all branches of the fishing industry. ineluding the fishermen, wholesale traders,

15

marketing and transport authorities. and retail traders, under the chairmanship of a Government nomintJe. Such a body would be of great assistance in bringing about the reorganization of the industry on the lines suggested in respect of the storage and treatment of fish. refrigerated transport, the formation of co-operative societies. the licensing of fishermen, marketing, price controL financial aid or guarantees to the trade. and the revision of the present restrictions on the use of long lines and the opening of certain inlets.

(m) That active measures to taken by the Fisheries and Uame Department t.o bring about the destruction of erabs and seals whose operations are so harmful to the industry.

(n) That in post-war years, the present closest c:o-opemtion between the State Fisherie:,; and Game Depnrtmeut and the Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Hesearch Khould be continued. anu that the research function::: of the State Department ~-;hould be expanded considerably to employ t}w most modern equipment for types of marine investigatiom;, ami to assiRt tlw fishermen with technieal demonstrations and advwe.

CO~CLUSIOX.

The Committee uesire::,; to expreHS its appreciation of the reauiness with whieh the witne:,;ses gave evidence, and of the services afforded by Mr. F. W. A. Cremean in the preparation of the report.

Dated at l\Ielbourne this nineteenth day of Deeember. 1\:!44.

U. H. <HLES, Rf\cret.ary.

Hon .. J. H. LIE~HUP. JI.L.C., Chairman.

K. DODUSHllN, JI.L.A.. Viee-Chairma11.

Hou. W. P. BAHHY. JI.L.A.

\V. R CUl\DTJNU. ::\f.L.A.

Hon. W. CL JicKENZIK l\LL.A.

H. P. Z\VAH, l\I.L.A.

PoRT FAIRY

APOLLO BAY

QU.KE~SCLlFF

WESTERN PoRT­San Remo Tooradin Hastings Corinella

CoR~ER INLET-­

Port Welshpool

Port Albert

Port Franldin

GIPPSLAND LAKES­

Lakes Entrance Paynesville Metung General

PoRTLAND ..

PoRT FAIRY

Lomm

QUEENSCLIFF

WESTERN PoRT­

San Remo

CortNER INLET­

Port Welshpool Port Albert Port Franklin

GIPPSLAND LAKES­

General

PoRTLAND ..

QUE}JNSCLIFF

WEsT.ERN PoRT

San Remo

PORTLAND ..

16

t-lCHl£DULE.

FIRST PRIORITY WORKS.

Provision of additional quayage.

Repairs to pier. Provision of breakwater to shelter ti.shing fh1et.

Northern breakwater. Dredging.

Construction of slipway.

::}Improved fish handling facilitie~, shed, ramps, &c.

.. j

~~xtension of head, fishermen's jetty and dredging. Construction of inland boat haven. Reconditioning of wharf and lowering level. New fish shed and trolley lines. Working platform and slipway. FJxtension of low level landing and fish box shed.

:: Jimproved fish handling facilities.

Establishment of navigational aid lights, beacons, &c.

Dredging near Fishermen's Breakwater.

SECOND PRIORITY WORKS.

Provision of additional quayage. Dredging of river.

Repairs to pier.

Extension of south pier ; construction of new head. Southern protection to outer harbour.

Extension of berthing.

Breakwater mooring jetty, eastern side, new p1er. Extension of low level landing. Reconditioning of wharf.

Construction of punt and installation of Priestman dredge. Construction of two hopper barges. Construction of tug. Establishment of navigational aid lights, beacons, &c.

Construction of slipway.

THIRD PRIORITY WORKS.

Northern protection to outer harbour. Extension of pier head.

Provision of boat harbour.

Extension of breakwater and prov1s10n of landing.

Estimated cost of works recommended in priorities Nos. l, 2, and 3 £372,000

By .\ ul IIorily: 11. E. D.\\\', Um t'l'lllllt'llt Priut<•r. C\lclbonme.