OUR FISHERIES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 119, 16 November 1909, Page 2

OUR FISHERIES.

LECTURE BY MR. G. M. THOMSON. The closing lecture of the series arranged, by the Library Committee of the Municipal Council was delivered 'ast night in the Concept Chamber of the Town Hall by Mr. G. 31. Thomson, F.L.S., M.P., on the subject of "New Zealand 'fisheries and Marine Fish Hatcheries." Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., occupied the chair. OUR FISHING-GROUNDS. The lecturer, in his introductory ro marks, spoke of the vast possibilities oi the fishing-grounds of New Zealand, whioh, though it lackfed the productive "banks" of the Old World, yet had a coast-line of a length out of all proportion to its area, as compared, for example, with Australia, being deeply and irregularly indented, extending altogether not less than 5300 miles. Besides this, there was the "continental plateau," extending from portions of the coast to varying distances seaward — from Lyttelton, for example, it extended nearly to the Chatham Islands without reaching the hundred-f athonw line ; while, in the neighbourhood of the West Coast Sounds, the deep water, was practically close to the coast. The indentations gave facility for inshore fishing, and the plateaus fine scope for trawling. OUR NATIVE FISHES. New Zealand was rich in edible %hes, possessing between forty and fifty species, of which about half were common and found \n the market. Some species, ii favour in Europe, such as the skate and the cuttle-fish, and plentiful in our waters, were rejected; othors found in great abundance, as the anchovy and the true sardine, could not be turned to profitable account where high wages ruled. In any case, the economic side of the industry was open to great development — notably in the direction of avoidance of waste. New Zealand was importing Vast quantities of phosphates from Europe and Japan for manure, and at the same time throwing away the unsalable waste from *nets and trawls. Still worse was the dumping into the sea of marketable fish when prices dropped below an arbitrary limit. This was a waste which he considered almost wicked, and which could be checked only by an open market and direct dealing between producer and consumer. The most remarkable fealure about our local fish was the distribution of species, the snapper, for example, so abundant off the North Island coasts, being very rare in Otago, while the ling, there abundant, was scarce in the North. A cold Antarctic current , along the coast Was instrumental in keeping varieties of fish apart. One of ihe most curious phenomena disclosed by the investigations of the department was the migrations of immense bodies of marine creatures. Some of these wore erustaceaus, including a species of shrimp, very rarely seen in shallow water. There' was also the little sand-hopper, literally by- thousands of tons, aljo the "whale-food."' These in turn were followed by enormous shoals of fish preying upon them, and those again by larger species. Sometimes a migrant host oi some species would pass, and no such phenomenon recur for a generation. Much more required to be known on these subjects before legislation on the subject could be pub on a. satisfactory footing, ■ THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION. The lecturer proceeded to give a vividly interesting account of the "Hatcheries" at Portobello, illustrated with lantern pictures. The work, he said was a labour of love; the funds for its establishment were supplied partly by the Accclimisatiori Society, partly by private subscription, and partly by State subsidy, and the cost of its upkeep was £250 a year. It had already been the means of throwing 1 great light on the habits and life-history of our native fishes, and had traced out by ' careful experiment the presumable causes of failure in various unsuccessful attempts at acclimatisation. It was difficult to find exactly what iuisucce^Sful State experiments cost, but one Australian attempt at acclimatisation of a single species of edible fish must havo resulted in a loss of at least ±ilo,ooo. / Our own fishes were^ sonu> times disparaged as compared with the Home species — somewhat unjustly, he thought. The only Home fish to which ftvould give precedence was the herring, but in tho present state of knowledge he saw little prospect of its acclimatisation. A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE. The condition of the hatchery had, however, succeeded in a humbler sphere. They had succeeded in introducing the English lobster, and the largo crab. (This part of the work was illustrated by many interesting photographs, and tho nature and habits of the crustaceans described.) Of the lobster, they had now tens of thousands of fry, and millions of the crabs, and as they passed from the hatchery to the sea, these creatures proceeded to establish themselves off tho banks and coasts northward. If the work of the institution were better understood, and its benefits more appreciated, it'inight be possible to accclimatise some of .the more valuable species of food fishes; but fuller knowledge of the habits and life-history of these creatures was needed, more knowledge of local conditions and risks of transit, before it would be justifiable to undertake costly experiments in this direction. A hearty vots of thanks to the lecturer closed tho proceedings.