New Tuna Industry For Fiji

Harold Gatty Bringing Modern Ships and Equipment Into S. Pacific

A TUNA-EXPORTING industry is to be immediately established in Fijian waters with headquarters in Suva.

This announcement was made in Suva in October by Mr. Harold Gatty, chairman and managing director of South Seas Marine Products Limited, who had just returned to Suva after a business trip of several months to the United States and Europe.

“This new industry,” said Mr. Gatty “is one of the few new undertakings of a substantial nature to be established in Fiji for a long number of years.

“My company has, for nearly three years, conducted intensive surveys and researches into the possibility of success fully establishing various marine and fisheries projects in the South Pacific.

These surveys, while not yet completed, have yielded results which, in our view, are sufficiently encouraging to justify our proceeding with the establishment of a tuna industry in Fiji. South Seas Marine Products Limited (which is a British company registered in Suva, with a sub stantial proportion of American capital) is therefore pressing forward with plans which provide for our being in active commercial operation by April of next year.

“There is, in the United States, an ever-increasing demand for canned tuna.

We propose to take advantage of that demand, and of the accompanying oppor tunity to earn United States dollars for Fiji.

“Our catches of tuna and bonito will * be exported in a refrigerated state to an associated Company, now erecting a large

and up-to-date canning plant at Pago Pago, in American Samoa. From Pago Pago the canned tuna will be exported directly to the American market. Tuna is a costly fish to can, requiring special treatment and oils. It commands a cor respondingly high price on the American market, as a luxury product.

Modern Tuna Vessels Bought

THE eighty-million-dollar tuna indus try of the Pacific Coast has devel oped tuna-fishing vessels —known as ‘tuna clippers’—of special design,” pro ceeded Mr. Gatty. “We have acquired three of these, in addition to a larger refrigerated cargo vessel and two live bait vessels.

"The first of our tuna clippers should arrive in Fiji within a month. It will be sailed to Fiji by Suva personnel, includ ing three Fijians, who were flown to Los Angeles a few weeks ago for that purpose.

“The two other tuna clippers and the two live-bait vessels will leave Los Angeles for Suva in convoy about the end of November. We propose to select crews for these vessels immediately from local personnel, at least twenty-four of whom will be flown to Los Angeles next month.

“The refrigerated cargo vessel will be used to transport our tuna from Fiji to Pago Pago. She should arrive in Fiji in December.

“Our fishing vessels, and this cargo vessel, are equipped with the latest brine refrigeration plants. They also carry Fathometers for the automatic and con tinuous recording of ocean depths. All of our vessels —even the 48-foot bait ves sels—are being eauipped with high powered radio-telephones. The cruising range of our fishing vessels is sufficient to enable them to cover all parts of the Fiji Group without refuelling Each of

them will carry in brine from 65 to 90 tons of frozen tuna. All of them are diesel-powered, with diesel auxiliaries.”

“These vessels are all being registered in Suva, and will arrive here and remain under the British flag. They will be, incidentally, the first vessels designed for live-bait tuna fishing to operate on British registry.”

Long-Range Amphibious

Aircraft

“ A IRCRAFT play an important part in modern tuna operations, and we have purchased one of the best amphibians produced in the United States.

“This machine, a Grumman ‘Goose’, has a normal cruising range of 1,200 miles. It has twin engines, and will be capable of landing not only on airstrips but also, if necessary and under suitable weather conditions, on the open sea.

“This amphibian will be utilised for the ‘spotting’ of tuna schools, and for the continuation of our researches into the movements of these migratory fish. There is still mu«h to be learned about these migrations, and in this and other re searches the amphibian will be invalu able.

“Vast amounts of money have been and are being spent upon tuna research in the United States—both by the Gov ernment of that country and by com mercial operators. We face the fact that considerable research is still necessary here—not only with regard to tuna them selves, but also with regard to the all important matter of a continuous live bait supply. We propose to give further intensive study to these and other mat ters still requiring investigation. The con servation of fisheries resources within the Group must, to be successful, have a background of such research.

“We propose to do our best, while de veloping the new tuna industry, to ensure that the natural fisheries of these waters are not depleted to the disadvantage of the people of the Colony. We recognise that the success of our tuna industry may, in the long run, depend upon in

telligent conservation measures based upon research.

New Industry Protected

, . . . x , HE taking and export of tuna for commercial purposes,” said Mr.

Gatty, “have been proclaimed by Government as a protected’ industry.

This was done to ensure that any com pany having the courage and resources required to tackle the development of a tuna industry in Fiji would not be sub jected to uneconomic competition in its early stages of operation. It still has to be proved, moreover, that the tuna resources of Fijian waters are sufficient

to support more than one tuna project Government has recognised that very important fact; and, with it, the fact that freedom from uneconomic competi tion must be a condition precedent to the establishment of a fishing industry such as that which we have planned.

“The movements of the company’s fishing vessels will, to a large extent, be directed from headquarters and opera ting depots upon the basis of informa tion received from our amphibious air craft. The amphibian therefore will, like our vessels, carry high-powered two-way radio-telephones. Similar equipment will also be installed at our Lami base and at another base on the other side of Viti Levu—probably at Vuda Point, where we are leasing a substantial area.

“We are making early application to Government to operate the comprehen sive system of radio-telephony proposed, and are confident of receiving all possible help and co-operation in that direction.

Fijian Fishing Personnel

Tl URING our ex P eriment al fishing of MJ the past two years and more we have employed Fijians extensively, and have, generally speaking, been very satisfied with them. Unlike the Gilbertese and Ellice Islanders, many of whom have extensive experience of offshore fishing, the Fijian is not what might be termed a ‘natural’ fisherman. He is almost com nletelv ignorant of off-shore fish and of their habits, seasons and migrations. But he can be taught, and he learns readily.

Given a rate of nav and conditions com mensurate with the work involved, he is a good worker and becomes a good fisher man.

“We plan to train Fijians for our fish ing crews, and one of the leading tuna fishermen of the Pacific Coast will arrive here shortly to organise and direct our training programme. This programme will occupy some months, as tuna-fishing technique is not to be learned in a day.

We anticipate. however, that our crews will be fullv trained bv the end of March, and that we should be in commercial pro duction shortly thereafter.

Depots At Lami And Vuda

“TT is proposed to establish our head- A Quarters at Lami. where our tem porary headquarters, stores and lab oratory are already situated.

“Here we plan an extensive building nrogramme, including further storage facilities, engineering workshops and other buildings and plant essential to the maintenance and repair of our fleet of vessels.

“We propose also to maintain an oper ating base at Vuda Point, between Nadi and Lautoka, where the boat harbour constructed by the Americans during the war. will be of great value as a base for our bait vessels operating on that side of Viti Levu.

“We will also be establishing a number of live-bait depots in various parts of the Groun in order to ensure that our fishing vessels are continuously provided with adequate supplies of live avu, daniva, sara and other small fish required for the ‘chumming’ of tuna,

Tribute To Government

“T SHOULD like to say,” concluded Mr.

A Gatty, “that we are deeply appreciative of the assistance and encouragement rendered to us by Government itself and bv the members of many Government departments since we commenced oulr survey operations in Fijian waters nearly three years ago. To conduct those in tensive surveys was, as we knew it would be, a long and expensive business, with

(Continued on Page 65)

(Continued from Page 24)

no certainty of ultimate success. We undertook this work ourselves, but have throughout been favoured with the active interest of the Government. For this we are grateful.

“Our research programme will con

tinue —not only in respect of tuna and bait-fish, but also in relation to other prospective marine and fisheries products which we hope may prove capable of commercial development in Fiji as soon as our tuna project is in successful operation.”