THE OTAGO INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1342, 18 August 1877, Page 7

THE OTAGO INSTITUTE.

A meeting of the above body was held in the lecture room at the New Museum on the 7th. The President (the Rev. Dr. Sfevill) was in the chair. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The following new members were elected :— Professor Scott and Mr [John Marshall,

The paper for the evening, " on the Dunedin Fish Supply," was read by Mr P. Thomson, as follows!—

" In compliance with the request of the President and members of the Institute, when I read the former paper on the subject last August, I now lay before you the result of my observations for the year ending 31st July last. I may state that my information was obtained in the same way as previously — by taking notes of the various fishes exposed for sale in town, in boats at the jetties, enquiries at Port Chalmers, &c. "The local fishing trade may be represented as follows : — During the year eight boats, employing 24 men, have been employed in the fishing outside the Heads ; while 12 boats, employing 24 men, have been engaged in the seine fishing in harbour and the adjoining inlets. This is independent of Stewart Island, where a number of cutters are engaged in the trade. ' 'Theoupply has been pretty steady all through the year, though occasionally, when a term, more or less long, of stormy weather occurred, a scarcity would be felt. The Southland steamers often fetch to Dunedin a few boxes of fish, mostly Blue Cod, Trumpeter, and Moki, which abound in the bays of Stewart Island. In January last three new boats left this port for the trade there ; and only the other day a fine new boat of 14 tons waj launched «t Port Chalmers for the .prosecution of the outside nshing trade.

"The complaint of small fish has been made again and again. This is particularly the case with Flounders, which are brought to market of a ridiculously small size. Very juvenile Red Cod are frequently caught by the seiners in large quantity. Some regulation as to the size of fish exposed for sale ought to be speedily made, in order to prevent their complete extermination. All under a certain size on being caught should be returned to the water. In talking this matter over with one of the dealers, with a number of specimens before us, a size of flounder was considered, and in his-opition, in which I quite concurred, all below eight inches in length, from snout to tail, should be rejected. Fish under this size are really not worth the trouble of cooking. Complaincs as to other fishes are not so often maae, even the Red Cod, though caught very small, being available for table use in a smoked state.

" This latter mode of preserving fish is pretty generally used, both in Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and large quantities of Barracouta, Ling, Moki, Trumpeter, Blue Cod, and Red Cod, are cured and sent up country and to other towns for consumption. Some curing is also done in the Southern districts. This is a trade that is yet in its infancy, a very extensive market lying open for occupation, both in this and other Colonies. The Herring is cured extensivuly at Picton, and sold everywhere as bloaters ; and it must be admitted they taste much like the real Yarmouth article. The Mullet, which is common in Otago, and sometimes called Herring, does not cure so well, as it is generally very fat and consequently does not keep. [A table was given here, containing the names of the various fishes, with the number of days they were in the market, for the year from Ist August, 1876, to 31st July, 1877, both inclusive.] " From the figures in the table, it will be seen that the supply ha,s been much more sleady and liberal than during last year. This is, in a measure, due to the pretty regular shipments sent up from the Bluff. One or two welled boats have also been at work on the coasts adjacent to Otago Heads. These welled boats bring in Moki, Trumpeter, and otter fishes to the Port, and thus keep the market supplied with what used tj be considered rave or scarce fishes. JVith the exception of Ling and Sole, ajlthi^other items in the table show a large inciGaje on last year's returns. "There is one mode of fishing which has as yet received hardly a fair trial in our waters. I refer to trawling, a method which is largelyemployed in the seas adjacent to the British

coasts. Some years ago, a vessel was brought over from Melbourne for the purpose, but the scheme was abandoned before a fair trial had been given to it. lam convinced that, were this plan of catching fish properly gone about, constant supply could be sent in, in nearly every weather. The vessels being welled could be kept cruising about till a sufficient cargo was got together, when the Port could be run for, and the fish disposed of as required. A supply of Soles in particular could thus always be depended upon, and there is no doubt that other ground-feeding fishes would be caught in quantity sufficient to make the enterprise pay." # Regarding the fishes themselves, the following were the number of days on which the principal varieties were in the market during the year :— Groper was in the market on 159 ?o? s ' K ah jwai, 1; Ling, 83; Barracouta, 123; Frostfish, 11; Moki, 136; Trumpeter 51 ; Blue-cod, 119 ; Red-cod, 214 ; Saadling, 56; Garfi«b, 41; Spotty, 12S; Mullet, 233; Trevally,l24; Flounder, 261 ; Sole, 20; Skate, 15 days. There were 22 days during the year on which there were no fish. Aninteresting discussion ensued, in which the President, Professor Hutton, Mr Webb, and others took p-irt. Tae -President gave particulars of son?e hshes he had observed during a visit to the Sounds of the West Ccast, and expressed a desire to know whether those of Stewart Island corresponded as to number and variety At the request of the meeting, Mr Thomson agreed to continue his notes for another year. Professor Hutton then gave some very interesting remarks on the " Maori Rat," which he thought was evidently a variety of the Black Rat— Mus rattus, introduced to the islands by the Maoris themselves. A specimen, dried to a mummy, which was found in a cave at Mount Benger, along with some matting, &c, was exhibited to the meeting. The next meeting is one of the popular series, and v/ill be addressed by Dr Hocken, the subject being the Hot Springs of New Zealand.