"ملف ١٧/ ١٦ صناعة صيد الأسماك في مسقط (زيارة الدكتور بيرترام إلى مسقط)" [ظ‎‎٥] (٢١٢/١٠)

-4-
The fish colloctod in this echene varies in species and
in amount from month to month, the winter heing a season of re
lative scarcity* The fish is divided into three categories by
species, the third quality in European estimation being sold at
fixed rates to the labourers, while the first two grades are
reserved for Staff* Of the total v/oight of fish caught the
4000 odd Staff and families at present receive about half and
the 100,000 labourers (again including resident dependents)
receive the other half. Worked out extremely roughly on an
average monthly basis, and smoothing out seasonal fluctuations,
it may be said that the present collection and distribution
scheme provides the Staff with about a dozen pounds of. whole
fresh fish por head per month and the Abadan labour force
with about 1 lb of whole fresh fish.per head per month, ffca
Staff it is stated could well do with rather more fresh :■
fish, at most seasons of the year, while the clamour in the
municipal market at tho time of distribution is a sure indica
tion of the desire for more cheap fish on the part of the Labour
being very far from satisfied.
Further details will ho found in Notes II,III, and IV,
Dried Fish . Certain quantities o!t native-type salted,
dricd ’f'isli 'are 1 'regularly on sale in tho Abadan bazaar. This $
is imported by dhow, by native contractors, from the southern
end of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, (see Note V),
Dried prawns arc also imported from Bundar Abbas and elsewhere.
Whether or not this dried fish in fact is providing a signifi
cant part of the animal protein available to the native labour
is unknown, but perhaps will hecome apparent when Dr, MeikleJohn's
full Report is received. This dried fish is certainly appre
ciated by the people but the impression was gained that it is
too expensive at present for them to buy as much as they, would
like.
9
F. FISHERY DEVELOPMENTS.
It is evident that there is a great gap between the pre
liminary target of 3000 tons of fresh fish per year to be landed,
at Abadan and the present availibility, namely 800 tons per
year of fresh fish plus an undetermined, but moderate, quantity
of dried fish*
To fill the gap and roach, this initial and rather humble
target, will require groat exertion and a good deal of time,
probably not loss than d year. The methods by which the gap
may be filled are set out below,
a. Import of.dried fish . Because of the inevitable and
considoralblo time lag which will occur before the fresh fish
available at Abadan can be largely increased, it is recommended
that at once quantities of dried'fish should be imported and
»made available to the labour force at prices which they can
easily afford. Such hulk import by AIOC should he quite easily
arranged. The dried fish, it is suggested, could be brought
up to Abadan in the Company*s own small vessels'which deliver
cased petrol to such plaoes as Sharja, Bundar Abbas, Muscat and'
Masira Island and Salala* These plaoes are centres, of popula
tion in the main fishing regions, from which dried fish is nor
mally exported in the Indian Ocean dhow traffic#
It is/,