180,000 SPONGE PLANTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1939, Page 10

180,000 SPONGE PLANTS

KIKKKO UN JDK JI SKA., Aitificial sponge cultivation recently suffered a serious set-back in the Bahamas by the loss of a bed comprising 180,600 sponges, representing live ycufs labour and an investment of £5,000, which died overnight at Water Cay channel, Andros Island. The bed was owned by P. C. and Wilfred Smith, ol Nassau.

An immediate investigation was made by Dr. H. 11. Brown and Dr. Walton Smith, English scientists of the Sponge Fisheries Department, which has been established with the aid of the Colonial Development Fund.. Dr. Brown states that the loss of the sponge bed was caused by a flood of fresh water on’the growths. As there has been very little rain at Andros and as beds between the main-, land and Water Cay have not been a.f-l fected, the possibility' of surface drain-1 age has been eliminated and the scientists attribute the occurrence, which took place within the space of a few days, to subterranean springs in the channel.

Inhabitants of the area say that such springs do exist, and this probably accounts for the fact that sponges did not grow naturally in this section before Mr. Wilfred Smith began cultivation there. Dr. Brown states th;P Mr. Smith has sustained heavy losses, but that, the sponges that have ’cached maturity arc in n perfect state, am! are in good marketable condition. The loss will be con tim'd to the numerous cullings recently planted. The sponge beds .it Andros Islam! are Ihe most extensive and prolific in tl:c Bahamas. It became necessary to introduce artificial .uige cultivation in these waters after (!•<- ravages caused by ;t scries of disastrous storms! during 1 lie <>ars 1926 29.