Hawke's Bay Herald SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1885.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7140, 18 April 1885, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1885.

In the Gazette for April 2nd new regulations are published under section 5 of the Fisheries Conservation Act, 1884. These regulations supersede those previously made, and there is now no necessity to issue licenses to fishermen. As the Bth clause of the regulations applies to the Napier district, we print it for the information of those employed as fishermen : —"No person shall take, buy, sell, expose for sale, or have in possession any fish of any of the species enumerated in the schedule hereto of a less weight or size than that set opposite the name of such fish, and if any such fish of a less size or weight than therein mentioned shall be taken by any person within any fishery affected by the 39 regulations, the same shall forthwith be returned alive to the water/ Under the lOfch clause the mesh of every net or seine used for the purpose of taking fish in tidal waters shall measure diagonally, when prepared for use, wetted, and stretched* not less than 2i inches, unless bugd. net be a bonajide garfish net or herring net, and used for taking garfish or herrings only. The mesh of every garfish net shall measure diagonally when prepared for use, wetted and stretched, not less then 1\ inches. The mesh of every herring net shall measure diagonally when prepared for use, wetted and stretched, not less than 1| inches. "No person shall set any net by the process known as staking, whereby a net is staked across or within any bay, inlet, river, or creek in tidal waters in such a manner that fish enclosed by such net are or may be left stranded at low tide. The size of every mesh in every case shall be ascertained by measuring the length on the diagonal or between knot and knot of opposite corners, the net being first wetted, and being tanned, barked, or otherwise prepared for use. All nets containing fish shall be emptied in the water, and no such net shall be dragged or drawn on to the dry land. No person shall cast sawdust or any saw-mill refuse into any waters, rivers, or streams." Any person committing a breach of these regulations is liable to a penalty of not less than £1 and not exceeding £50. The schedule referred to above provides that no fish under the following weights or sizes shall be taken : — Hapuka, five pounds; kahawai, one pound; schnapper, one pound ; tarakihi, four poundß ; trumpeter, one pound ; moki, eight ounces; barracouta, eight ounces ; horse mackerel, four ounces ; trevally, four ounces; kingfish, three pounds ; warehon, four ounces • mackerel, eight ounces ; rook cod, four ounces ; gurnard, four ounces; mullet, four ounces ; butterfish, four ounces ; red cod, eight ounces : flounder, nine Inches ; soles, nine inches ; garfish, nine inches ; herring, five inches.