H.—44a,

Canterbury. Exports of frozen fish from Lyttelton have remained fairly steady for a number of years, the figures since 1931 and for the years ending 31st March being : — Cwt. Cwt. 1931 .. .. .. 1,119 1935 .. .. .. 2,133 1932 .. .. .. 1,571 1936 .. .. .. 1,363 1933 .. .. •• 1,839 1937 .. .. .. 1,669 1934 .. .. .. 2,069 1938 (6 months) .. .. 811 Messrs. P. Feron and Son, Ltd., are the only exporters, and sale is effected at prices f.o.b. Lyttelton for shipment to Sydney and Melbourne. Reference to export through Wellington by the South Seas Fishing Co., Ltd., a Christchurch concern, is made under the Chatham Islands section. The export from Lyttelton comprises the surplus taken over from the auction-market and not distributed to country clients or to retailers later as frozen stock. A proportion of the supplies from the two trawlers (one since wrecked) operated by the Canterbury Steam Trawling Co., the catches of which are sold through Messrs. P. Feron and Son is for export, but certain percentages of the catches come on the market for auction —33| per cent, in times of a scarcity of supplies generally and from 15 per cent, to 20 per cent, at other times. Not all the balance of the trawler landings is exported, but, as mentioned above, some of this is also held to meet the requirements of country clients and local retailers. The principal varieties exported are ling, tarakihi, red cod, and flounder. Shipping-facilities. —Lyttelton is at a disadvantage with other ports in the matter of shippingfacilities. While the " Waikouaiti " makes regular sailings, there is often a difficulty in getting sufficient space when Dunedin exporters are shipping in any quantity. Sometimes the sailings of the " Waitaki " do not suit, and occasionally the " Maunganui "ison a special trip. The only satisfactory method of shipment to Melbourne is by the " Wanganella " from Wellington, although it is true that the " Waitaki's " space is sometimes available. Auckland and Thames. The export trade from Auckland and the problems associated with it have taken up a considerable portion of the Committee's time, and negotiations with the parties concerned in seeking solutions of immediate difficulties interrupted to no little extent the continuity of the Committee's investigations. Exports of frozen fish from Auckland during the years ended 31st March have been :— Cwt. Cwt. 1931 .. .. .. .. •• 4,219 (including snapper 1,492) 1932 .. .. .. .. .. 4,280 ( „ 938) 1933 .. .. .. •• 5,884 ( „ 1,735) 1934 .. .. .. .. .. 9,370 ( „ 4,326) 1935 .. .. .. .. .. 15,353 ( „ 7,191) 1936 .. .. .. .. -■ 20,822 ( „ 11,133) 1937 .. .. .. .. .. 21,105 ( „ 15,185) 1938 (6 months) .. .. .. .. 8,615 A brief resume of the history of the export trade in fish from Auckland will be of interest. In 1923 Messrs. Sanford Ltd. withdrew the two trawlers they were operating out of Sydney and they opened a branch there in the following year. This firm had the field to itself up to 1932, although it is true that certain quantities were being exported through Auckland from Thames and by one or two Auckland firms operating in export upon a relatively small scale. Hereunder are given the names of the companies now operating together with a reference to the years in which they commenced operations : —

43

Name of Company. j Year commenced Operations. Auckland. Sanford Ltd. . . . . . • • • • • • . . • 1904 (capital reduced 1933). Auckland Fishermen's Co-operative, Ltd. . . . . . . 1925. Hauraki Fisheries, Ltd. . . . ■ • • .. .. 1930. Fishermen's Co. (Auck.), Ltd. .. .. .. .. .. 1931. Ocean Fish Co. (Yurak Bros.) . . . . .. . . .. 1931. Auckland Fisheries, Ltd. . . . . . . .. .. 1932. Kia Ora Fish-mart (Cole and Howartli) . . . . . . . . 1933. Pearl Fisheries (N. Marinovich) . . .. . . .. .. 1933. Waitemata Fisheries, Ltd. . . . . . . . . .. 1933. Auckland Seine Boat Assn., Ltd. . . . . .. . . 1936. Thame s. Taylor Bros. .. . . . • • • • • • • ■ ■ 1908. Thames Fisheries, Ltd. . . .. • • • • . . 1918 (capital reduced 1935). Shortland Fish Co., Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . 1923. Co-operative Fisheries (N.Z.), Ltd. . . . . .. .. 1927. I,