FISHERIES REPORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 September 1934, Page 9

FISHERIES REPORT

GORSE SAVES WHITEBAIT ■ [FIB pbiss association.] WELLINGTON, September 13. In view of the lateness ot the ■whitebait season and possible shortage of supplies, interest attaches to a review of last season's fishing, made by Mr A. E. HelTord, chief inspector of fisheries, in the annual report of the Marine Department. He points to possibles causes of the gradual decline. The total catch of whitebait for the 1933 season was 21.1 S cwt, which was less than half that of the previous season. It is known that whitebait spawn at the mouth of rivers and in estuaries only at high spring tides. The eggs are deposited on the leaves of grass and rushes and remain, fertilising in the sun, until they arc washed off by Ihe next spring tide. It has i.'ccn jpointed out. in (he past, that the actual spawning- grounds are often on land used for farming purposes and that every year probably millions of embryo whitebait are consumed by cattle. In one case last season it was noticed on land near a river mouth, subject to the damaging effect of grazing cattle, that the only suitable patches of spawning ground left were under gorse bushes, where the herbage could not possibly be trodden or closely grazed. The gorse, in fact, had saved the situation so far as whitebait propagation was concerned. “It is to be deplored that the occurrence of satisfactory spawning conditions is still purely a matter of chance,” Mr Hefford states. “It is particularly affected by conditions arising from settlement and agricultural developments, but there are comparatively simple conservational measures. Money spent on the protection and development of the whitebait fisheries would result in increased production. By imposing a system of license fees for commercial whitebait fisheries the money could be obtained from those who would benefit by its expenditure and the surveillance and administration of the fisheries —at present a difficult task and in many cases ineffective —would be considerably facilitated.”

PROFITS ON OYSTERS. WELLINGTON, September 13. The Treasury will receive nearly £6OOO as a result of the sales of Auckland rock oysters during the season which began on May 31 and ended on September 1. It was the best oyster season since 1930. In 1932, 4,441 sacks realised £5,046, in 1933, 4,717 sacks realised £5536, and this year 5272 sacks realised £5920. “In these days the Treasury, which is still in need of all the revenue it can get, will benefit from the fairly substantial profits which the Marine Department has made from the chief marketable product it cultivates,” said the Minister of Marine, Mr J. G. Cobbe. “The increase in sales is a sign of the times, and seems to indicate that there is a little more money about now than was the case during the previous years. "As a matter of fact, a greater quantity of oysters could have been sold this season,” continued the Minister, “but. conservation of the beds is a vital factor, and it was necessary to cease picking when the full quota had been reached. It has been discovered from experience that it takes the beds a long time to recover from over-pick-ing in one particular season.”