Japanese Will Catch Fish for New Hebrides Cannery

New Hebrides Cannery

The scheme to enlist Japanese fishing know-how in a tuna canning enterprise in Santo, New Hebrides, which is now under way, could be of considerable economic benefit to the Condominium, if successful.

A CERTAIN amount of antagon ism to the scheme has been encountered —based, mostly, on anti-Japanese feeling and fear of Japanese competition. But, so far as we can judge, such fears are groundless. There never was a South Pacific fishing enterprise vorth the name until the Japanese ihowed that fish could be caught hr the Van Camp cannery in Pago Pago, American Samoa. And this n spite of expensive fishery surveys mdertaken by various Govern nents.

PIM has always maintained that he smart thing for the South to do is to enlist Japanese skill in this art. And this is what he company now formed (D. J. lubbay & Co. (New Hebrides) Pty. fid.), proposes to do.

The following information is lased on an interview with Mr. D.

'. Gubbay, in Sydney, in April.

Mr. Gubbay had his interest first tirred by reports of the successful una fishing operations based on •ago Pago. Then, a year ago a apanese fishing vessel called in t Santo to land a sick seaman, yhile it remained in port. Mr. rubbay was able to obtain iteresting information from the apanese aboard.

He realised that Japanese skill ould be essential to the success f any local fishing project, at least i the early stages. If Japanese ere prepared to fish on contract )r a New Hebrides cannery—and was soon discovered that they ere—why not make use of their fills?

Japanese are already regularly shing the nearby waters legally ind sometimes inside the 3-mile mit, illegally) for their own mefit —and not all the anti-Jap ieling in the world will alter that.

Discussions on the subject were fid with the joint French-British esident Commissioners. They vestigated Mr. Gubbay’s proposals id gave the project their un lalified written approval. Mr. übbay thereupon went to Japan January, 1955, to discuss the an with the South Sea Trading which is a branch of the same ganisation which has operated the ipanese pearling fleet in the rafura Sea during the past two asons.

More recently the managing rector, a fisheries expert, and a fngeration expert of the Japanese mpany have visited the New to finalise plans.

The company now formed is a British-registered company. In ad dition to local capital, it has the backing of a loan from the United States Import-Export Bank under its Point Four Programme. The terms of this loan are that all the equipment must be purchased from Japan as an economic aid to that

country. Cement and machinery will arrive in Santo from there about June. The freezer will be built by local labour. The exact site has not yet been decided.

An idea has developed in the New Hebrides that the company plans to enter other fields of busi ness with Japan. Mr. Gubbay denies this. This impression gained ground through a fourth Japanese business man, not associated with the fishing industry, having arrived in the New Hebrides with the three Japanese experts mentioned above.

A satisfactory market, not only for tuna but for all other fish taken, is the primary factor which will decided the success or failure of the undertaking. Failure to find a market for the types of fish which

it is not jfitable to can, is the main problem facing the Van Camp organisation in Pago Pago, where a great deal of fish is currently wasted instead of being turned to profit. Limited freezer holding {pace, there, even for tuna, during periods of very successful fishing, las meant that even the cannable ish has had to be wasted at times.

The Santo company is discussing in agreement with Van Camp.

Some of the Santo catch will go to *ago Pago for canning. Some will [O as freezer cargo to the States -possibly transported by a freezer r essel to Suva to connect with )rient Line vessels which are quipped to carry the fish. The reduce not wanted by the Ameri an market will very probably go to kaly and France in the big

Messageries Maritimes liners which have ample freezer and cooler space.

Some other produce will be dried and sent to Japan.

Greatest difference between the Pago Pago and Santo operations will be that the seven 100-tons fishing vessels will not be equipped with freezer machinery. They will carry ice and the fish will be brought in chilled, not frozen. Once fish has been frozen it must be canned, and is spoilt for the fresh fish market.

About 3,000 tons of fish per annum must be handled to make operations payable. The Japanese are satisfied that this quantity can be delivered.

The Santo freezer-cooler will have a capacity of 2,000 tons, but

only 700 tons of this space will be available for holding fish. The remainder will be for ice manufac timing and storage for the fishing boats - . Th ® idea will be to deliver a ifr to cl tde Pa g° p ago cannery keep up supplyto that “ PaClty “

(Continued on Page 70)

Queen's Film

at Noumea

Many of Noumea’s leading citizens at tended the screening of “The Queen in Australia” at the Rex cinema. Photograph shows the Australian Consul, Dr. Cump ston (on right), with the Acting Governor of New Caledonia (M.

Biros) and Mme.

Biros.

Photo: F. Dunn.

As at Pago Pago, the Japanese company will deliver fish to the Santo freezer on a contract basis, at so much per ton, the rate varying with the kind of fish delivered.

The Japanese will find their own bait —about 60 tons of this bait fish will be imported, frozen, from Japan each year. Long-line methods will be used. The seven fishing vessels will be owned by the Santo company, not by the fishing con tractors.

In the ships will be employed 137 Jap fishermen, and 18 Jap refrigera tion men, 12 fish-curing specialists, and 4 Jap office staff will handle the paying, victualling, and all the business affairs associated with the administration of the Japanese staff, who will be under strict control and will be returned to Japan at the end of their seasonal contracts. The fishing season is mainly during the southern winter.

It is hoped that during the tuna off-season, local crayfish tails will be processed.

HERE are some points made by Mr. Gubbay: • Most of the fish sold will be paid for in dollars. • At present no refrigeration plant exists in the New Hebrides, and there will be ample space in the Santo freezer for the holding of meat and produce, local or imported.

• There is at present no regular supply of fresh fish in the Group.

The Santo enterprise will provide large quantities of fish other than tuna, as a valuable food supply for plantation labour. • The company will pay wharf age charges to the Government • Further revenue will be gained

for the Territory in 'the form ( export tax on the fish. • Revenue will also be derive from import duties on all tM materials brought in to operate tM industry. • The fishing company will re quire 1,200 tons of fuel oil for ii seven vessels and 700 tons for ii

shore facilities each year. Tanks will therefore have to be built and it is hoped that an oil company will be encouraged to establish a julk depot. In any case, whether >wned by an oil company or owned )y the fishing company, the acilities will be available to all r essels in the New Hebrides. (At (resent fuel oil which cost £l6 per on in Noumea costs £5O in Santo). • The fishing company will re uire 30 tons of water per day. At resent there are no fresh water upply facilities for shipping in the few Hebrides except at an out-of ie-way point. The water facilities hich the company will instal will e available to all. • The enterprise calls for an ectric power consumption of 700 illowatts. This guaranteed con imption might induce an electric )wer company to go into business ; Santo to supply all local require ents. Obviously the more power »nsumed, the cheaper it will be ir unit to the individual house >lder. • There are no banking facili ;s in the New Hebrides. Increased isiness in the area may induce a nk to open an Agency or Branch. • Although the Van Camp con ict fleet was mainly fishing close Samoa in the early stages, it is w sending its vessels as far afield the New Hebrides. The Japanese ve reported some of their best tches of the valuable albacore >m that area. As the Japanese 3 paid only on results, it can taken for certain that they uld not have shown an interest the Santo scheme unless they re sure of getting good hauls •m nearby waters.