ESTUARINE FISH FARMING
205
14-15% per annum. Schuster writes of the money-lenders who take a
good part of the daily revenues of the fishponds in reduction of a
never-cleared principal.
The economic weakness of a rural cash economy may justify these
onerous loan terms ; however, apart from cases of social injustice,
such terms give no incentive to expansion and improvement. Where
this state of affairs prevails, Goodsell considers that Government
action is needed to establish a sound credit system. Schuster also
concludes that if long-term credits cannot be provided by the banks,
then Government itself should find the money.
Where there are established banks, the crucial matter is security
for the long-term loans needed. If, in Java, where the fishpond industry
has been established for more than 200 years, banks “with long
experience of rural affairs are unable to judge the terms of redemption,
or to estimate the value of securities ” (Schuster), how much more
difficult it must be for a bank to judge the terms of loans where the
technique of fish culture is new and unfamiliar, and where they have
no technical advisers?
The expansion of the fish farming industry and its establishment in
new countries is attracting more attention as the wild fisheries continue
to show diminishing returns, and the prices of the best sea foods increases. It seems certain that the raising of the finance is likely to be
a more serious problem than any biological difficulties, until some
pioneers are able to make a success of the technique, and so give the
banks the data they need.
IX. Is THERE A FUTURE FOR ESTUARINE FISH FARMING?
To some extent, the future of estuarine fish farming is linked with
that of the estuaries themselves. Schmidt (1966) shows that the tidal
marshes from Maine to Delaware have lost 47 000 acres since 1954.
Dumping of spoil accounted for %yo, housing developments accounted
for 27 yo, construction of racreational facilities t’ook 15%, bridges,
roads, airports, and parking facilities took loyo, and development of
industrial sites and trash dumps took 13%. The amount distributed
between schools, agricultural cropland, drainage, and beach erosion
control was 1%. Most great conurbations are based on estuaries, and
the estuaries are the ‘‘ septic tanks of Megalopolis ”. I n Britain, we
are planning to abolish the Wash, Morecame Bay, the estuary of the
Dee, and even the estuary of the Thames. Only those inlets far from
present or likely future development seem possibilities for fish farming.
Even there, as Ryther and Matthiessen (1969) point out, private efforts
205
14-15% per annum. Schuster writes of the money-lenders who take a
good part of the daily revenues of the fishponds in reduction of a
never-cleared principal.
The economic weakness of a rural cash economy may justify these
onerous loan terms ; however, apart from cases of social injustice,
such terms give no incentive to expansion and improvement. Where
this state of affairs prevails, Goodsell considers that Government
action is needed to establish a sound credit system. Schuster also
concludes that if long-term credits cannot be provided by the banks,
then Government itself should find the money.
Where there are established banks, the crucial matter is security
for the long-term loans needed. If, in Java, where the fishpond industry
has been established for more than 200 years, banks “with long
experience of rural affairs are unable to judge the terms of redemption,
or to estimate the value of securities ” (Schuster), how much more
difficult it must be for a bank to judge the terms of loans where the
technique of fish culture is new and unfamiliar, and where they have
no technical advisers?
The expansion of the fish farming industry and its establishment in
new countries is attracting more attention as the wild fisheries continue
to show diminishing returns, and the prices of the best sea foods increases. It seems certain that the raising of the finance is likely to be
a more serious problem than any biological difficulties, until some
pioneers are able to make a success of the technique, and so give the
banks the data they need.
IX. Is THERE A FUTURE FOR ESTUARINE FISH FARMING?
To some extent, the future of estuarine fish farming is linked with
that of the estuaries themselves. Schmidt (1966) shows that the tidal
marshes from Maine to Delaware have lost 47 000 acres since 1954.
Dumping of spoil accounted for %yo, housing developments accounted
for 27 yo, construction of racreational facilities t’ook 15%, bridges,
roads, airports, and parking facilities took loyo, and development of
industrial sites and trash dumps took 13%. The amount distributed
between schools, agricultural cropland, drainage, and beach erosion
control was 1%. Most great conurbations are based on estuaries, and
the estuaries are the ‘‘ septic tanks of Megalopolis ”. I n Britain, we
are planning to abolish the Wash, Morecame Bay, the estuary of the
Dee, and even the estuary of the Thames. Only those inlets far from
present or likely future development seem possibilities for fish farming.
Even there, as Ryther and Matthiessen (1969) point out, private efforts