OYSTER SEASON OPENS WITH SMALLER CATCH

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27894, 16 February 1956, Page 12

OYSTER SEASON OPENS WITH SMALLER CATCH

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL. February 15. Catches were smaller on the opening day of the 1956 oyster season today than they were last year. The weather was perfect, and big catches were predicted, but the skippers of the oyster fleet took great care not to bring back any undersized oysters, after prosecutions at the end of last season. The first boat back into port was the Karaka, skippered by Captain R. Bryce, which berthed just before 3 p.m. She was followed soon afterwards by the Monica, skippered by Captain Hans Johnsen. Captain Johnsen, who is in his fiftysecond year of active oystering, said that the Monica brought in 88 sacks of oysters, v. hich he considered a poor first day. In previous years he had

brought in 110 sacks without difficulty. The oysters were hard to find, and there were large amounts of red weed and gravel on the beds. It? was the worst opening to any season in his experience. He had six men employed culching the oysters, (cleaning off weed and gravel and sorting out undersized oysters) and at times had difficulty in keeping them occupied. No raw oysters were on sale in Invercargill after 5.30 p.m., because of the provision of the new Shops and Offices Act. Prices announced today of 4s for a large pottle. 2s 6d for a small pottle. Is 5d a dozen (opened), and £2 10s 6d a sack, were confirmed by a meeting of the merchants after the boats returned with their catches.