'File 17/16 Fish Industry in Muscat (Dr. Bertram's Visit to Muscat)' [‎14r] (27/212)

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(probably anchovy) were on sale at 4 r.ials per kilo. Picked and
Shelled dried prawns in Abadan were on sale at 50 rials per kilo
* in the bazaar.
The chief enemy of dried fish is insect infestation but,
if AIOC made bulk imports, this could be limited by storage in a
cool plao.e and possibly by fhmigation,
AIOC have already tried importing dried prawns for staff
use but this unfortunately was a failure on account of the age of
the consignment bought, The prawns were finally being fed to the
Company's pigs.
NOTE VI .
AVAILABILITY OP ICE AT ABADAN.
Any extension of the present fresh fish collection scheme
will require greater quantities of ice. This will be doubtfully
available from the Company's present ice making plant. It is be
lieved that extra ice may be obtainable from Basra.. The use of a
trawler, unless fitted, as■recommended, with proper freezing equip
ment, would require large quantities of ice quite beyond present
''yailability. The AIOC will doubtless have this possible’ need in
^ind during their present consideration of cold storage requirements
at Abadan,
Present ice production at Abadan is said to be 120-130 tons
daily, in 56 lb (c ,25 kilo) blocks, of which about 3'i' tons daily are
used in the present fish collection scheme. It is said that not
more than one day's production can be stored so that the surplus
manufacturing capacity of the colder months cannot-be stored for
later use. This storage difficulty however, could presumably be
overcome with moderate ease and ingenuity. One may recall that-in
the last century winter ice from the Baltic was taken in sawdust in t
the holds of sailing vessels round the Cape for use in India. The
fact that during storage the separate blocks of ice may merge into
a solid mass is immaterial because broken ice is suitable for fish
ery use.
NOTE VII«
•FISHERY EXPERIMENTS.
Once AIOC embark on anything more than the mere collection
of fresh fish from native fishermen, a certain amount of experiment
will be necessary. This is inevitable and will involve trials to
seek out both the best fishing grounds and the best types of gear
to use. This work will devolve mainly upon wh tever fishery
skipper the Company may employ from time to tim .. It is recommend-
.ed tnat the Company should insist on the render .ng of regular and
detailed returns weekly, to include the exact places of fishing,
depth, type of bottom, type of gear, length of haul, details of
catch by_species, numbers and weights, weather, and so on. At
first this may seem laborious or even unnecessary but it will pay
good dividends in the long run. In particular will the information
already collected be a necessity whenever a new trawler skipper is
employed.
In U1K. waters tradition and hearsay .provide owners and
skippers / ,lb