THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1899.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11162, 7 September 1899, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1899.

Of late, several notices have been published in our columns in respect to the establishment of a company for the purpose of carrying on Ashing operations in this locality by trawling, but so far, we understand, no systematic enterprise has been entered upon. Two small steamers have lately been engaged in the vork, but it is said that their continuance is doubtful if they can only find schnapper, and cannot dis cover a suitable ground for flatfish of various kinds. At present there is a demand for fish in Auckland and the adjacent country districts, and there would be a large consumption if there were a good and constant supply. With the present facilities for preserving and curing fish, there ought also to be a considerable export trade to Australia, v here the supply of fish will always be restricted. The situation of Ne;v Zealand is not so good as that of Great Britain in respect of fishing ground, but on some portions of oik coast we have excellent facilities There can be little doubt also thnt an extended search would lead to the discovery of new fishing grounds, and in finding that we could obtain abundant supplies of fish that w j do not often see in our market. A paper on New Zealand fisheries has lately been laid before Parliament. It embraces a report by Mr. L. F. Ayson, who was lately se it Home by the Government to obtain information in regard to both s.tt and freshwater fisheries. On a recent occasion we dealt at some length with the report. Mr. Ayson spent several months in investigating indifferent localities in Great Britain and America. In respect to a more systematic method of dealing with the subject in New Zealand, Mr. Ayson makes several recommendations. He urges that, tin Department of Marine should have charge of fisheries, that fishery commissioners should be appointed, consisting of gentlemen who take an interest in the subject, win would advise the Minister, and endeavour to infuse new life into the industry; that arrangements be made for testing fishing grounds round the coast by subsidising a steam trawler; that the industry be encouraged by inducing the local bodies to provide suitable fish markets by endeavouring to induce the shipping companies to provide good means of transport to Australia ; by fostering the canning and fish-cor-ing industry; by carrying fish by rail at low rates; by publishing reliable data as to the results of tin tests made on the coast, so as to assist local trawlers and induce some of the large English trawling firms to take up the business. In Great Britain lately, hatcheries have been established to increase the supply of ocean fish. It is doubtful, however, how far this means is effective for the purpose intended, and at al! events it is not a question for us at the present time. But Mr. Ayson says that a marine scientific station, where the life habits of our best food fishes could be studied, wiMi suitable sea-water enclosures, would be of great value in the study of our coast fish. There is a very largo sea-fish hatchery at Dunbar, from which many millions of the young of the valuable food fishes are place] on the fishing grounds each year. There is also a hatchery at Massachusetts, from whi-ch, in 189(1, 165,284,000 eggs were planted on the fishing grounds. It might be -worth trying a hatchery on a small seals at the Thames, which is one of the finest grounds for flat fishing in New Zealand, but which is too shallow for trawling operations, and can best be worked by netting. Mr. Ayson mentions in his report the project of transplanting some of the more valuable marine fishes of the Northern Atlantic, such as the herring, cod, and turbot, to the Southern Pacific Ocean. This, however, would be a very difficult matter, and the conditions surrounding the project are involved in so much darkness that it is not likely to b; attempted, for the present at all events. In New Zealand we have been successful with river and lake fish, and possibly we might succeed with sea fish. But the experiment would be somewhat costly. Besides, we scarcely know yet what fish of our own we can make available. There are many kinds of fish on our coasts which the Maoris used to obtain which are rarely seen in our markets, but which might be found to be available if investigations were conducted on our coasts in localities suitable for trawling. At present many are of opinion that our fish are as good as those of England but we certainly have not the same variety, owing, possibly, to many of the finest fish of the New Zealand c 9 ast not being fished for, and therefore not being known in our markets. There seems no chance of this important subject being dealt with by the Government at the present time. The general election looms so large as to conceal everything else. But the promotion of our fisheries would have . important results for the colony. It would give employment to a class who at present need work of this kind ; it would create a splen-

did seafaring population; it would ( give a regular supply of fresh fish for food; it would open up a great trade with Australia ; and the fishcuising and fish-canning factoiiss | would occupy many on shore.