THAMES NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9131, 13 August 1888, Page 6

THAMES NEWS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Saturday. At the Police Court, to- day, a case of considerable interest to fishermen was heard, a fisherman named Henry Gallagher being charged with having in his possession flounders of less than nine inches in length, in contravention of the Fisheries Act. Mr. Lush appeared for the defendant, and Sergeant Murphy conducted the prosecution. A plea of not guilty was entered by the deience, but Mr. Lush, in order to shorten the proceedings, said he would admit that defendant had a fish in his possession less than nine inches in length, but it Was a fluke and not a flounder. This admission simply resolved the case into a question as to whether a fluke was a flounder ? After evidence for and against had been heard, and various authorities quoted, on piscatorial definitions. His Worship (Mr. H. W. Northcroft, R.M.) said that after looking up the various authorities submitted°he found that a platcs-sa or flounder, also covered the salt dab, the smooth dab, the fluke, long flounder, and others. Then by one of the best New Zealand authorities a patiki was a flounder. He believed that these fish were flounders, and also that when passing the Act, the Legislature intended to include the several species all ander the one head, platessa or flounder. The flounder spawned about August or September, and the young fish produced were now spawning, which was further evidence that they were flounders. The lowest penalty allowed by law was £1 and the highest £50, but as the fishermen appeared to be merely desirous of testing the case, and had not wilfully broken the Act, the minimum penalty of £1, and costs 19s, would be imposed. His Worship suggested that the fishermen should make some representation to the member for the district, with a view of securing legislation on the subject. A football match was played to-day at Parawai between the local National Club and a team from Tapu styling themselves "Jolly Boys." The Nationals had the best of the game throughout, and won by five points (three tries, from one of which a goal was kicked) to a goal kicked from the field.