DEEP-SEA FISHING BEDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13891, 1 May 1907, Page 5

DEEP-SEA FISHING BEDS.

STATEMENT EY THE HON. J. A. MILLAR. (Per United Phess Association - .) AUCKLAND, April 30. The deep-sea trawler Nora Niveii, chartered h}' the New Zealand tlovernnient to test the deep-sea fishing beds otf the coast, left Albany last week, and is due in tho colony' at tho eud of tho present mouth. _ Questioned as to tho lioveriimcnt's intentions with regard to tho use of tho vessel, tho Hon, J. A. Millar, Minister of Marine, stated titat tho vessel would trawl along tho whole of tho liast Cowt of both islands. &ho trawls," ho said, "to a depth of 120 fathoms, and is the best-appointed and most up-to-date trawler that Ivor loft iiingland. After boing overhauled at \Ydlington, tho Nora Niven will leave at tho end of May for tho south. She will steam to Stewart Island, and will commence trawling there, finishing off tho Mercuries about tho end of August, when her three mouths charter expires, iSlio will zig-zag from tho coast into tho sea, and from tlio edge of tho banks back to the coast, for the whoie distance, trawling everywhere wilhil) a depth of 120 fathoms. ' Mr Waite, curator of the Christcl.urch Museum, who i» an export ichthyologist, and Mr L. 1'". Ayson, head of (no Mai ino Department, will accompany the vessel for tho purpoto of defining the value of the fish, many now vaueties of which will in all probability bo ciscovcred, All the banks in which 'suppiles of iiah aro discovered will be carefully plotted down on tho chart, and-on tho conclusion of tho experiment this will bu availably for anyone who likes to make USD Of Jt. What will be done with tho fish caught.? Ihi vessel has refrigcraiing accommodation aboard.for 100 tons of fish, and tho ownors of tho vessel aro under contract to take tho wholo of the supplies caught at markot rates, The trawler carries 12 days' supply of coal, and will run into port to replenish supplies and to dispose of tho iish when neccisary. She has a crow of 11 expert North Sea trawlers aboard, and when on rocky bottoms tltov will fish with lines. An oyster dredgo will also be put down occasionally, ami I think it. probable that a bed of Sfowart Island oysters will bo discovered, for it is hardly likely that they exist only in Kovcaux Straits." oho will not trawl in tho Ilauruki Gn IfV it has already been proved that li6ti aro there, and can bo trawled up. I want to prove as .-nany now grounds as pcssiblo, and thero is no good going to grounds where fish art) caught evety week. Wo \vant to find whore the fwh are. It is woll known that fisli go off tlm land at certain periods of the year, and I hope by this experiment to find, if possible, the places to which thev go. At the end of tho experiment, if it proves successful, I may ask Parliament for authority to charter tho vessel for a further term', in order to carry on similar experiments on, the West Coast.

• Mr Millar further stated that tlicro was a hufjo bank at a depth of 80 fathoms (xtendiiig from Stewart Island to tho Chatham*, an<l on this ho would not ™ ™<-pn«xl to find Newfoundland cod. the blue cod and nvl cod and tho hapukn (anothor speoies of tho family) wore foiuul on tho coast, and li© honed that it would no proved that tho bank in question was the feeding-ground for tho Newfoundland variety.