OUR INDUSTRIES. SOMETHING MORE ABOUT SALT WATER FISH AND FISHING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 31

OUR INDUSTRIES. SOMETHING MORE ABOUT SALT WATER FISH AND FISHING .

BY AVARATA RENATA.

The great thing to be settled in starting any industry is the supply of material— that is, can a regular supply be guaranteed. Should there be any doubt of the supply the chances are the industry will not succeed if it is started. The same question must be settled in connection with the fish industry, and I shall try and throw some light on the subject, not only from my own experience, but from other sources also. THE EDIBLE VARIETIES, THEIR QUALITY

AND QUANTITY.

The means of catching, transit, and disposal require a few words. The most plentiful fish in its season is the baracouta. Ifc arrives here in Ootober, and remains with us till the end of June. When first it arrives it is in poor condition, and remains so till afcer the end of December. Then it commences to improve, and by the end of March it is in good condition, and remains so till it leaves our coast. From Bank's Peninsula to Stewart Island it can be caught for nine months in the year, and int almost unlimited quantities. The only objection to it is the dryness of the flesh. The flavour is good, and the dryness of its flesh can be easily overcome by careful and suitable cooking. After March the dryness disappears to a great extent. Tbe most suitable fisbing ground for this fish is Otago Heads. Tbe means of catching it is quite unique, and is worth describing. A short rod, round or triangular, 6ft long, bent like a bow, made generally of kohai, is employed. Totbis is attached a piece of fishing line from 2ft to 2ft Gin long, and to this short line a piece of wood 6in long and three-quarters of an inch square. The line is attached to one end of this piece of wood, and the other forms the hook by driving a 2in nail lin from tbe end through it, and bending it up towards the line end. The point of the nail is turned till it is an inch and a-quarter from this stick or piece of wood. Tbe usual gauge used is the first joint of the thumb. To fish well, with this strange rod and hook requires a. little practice. Tbe fishermen generally sic on the gunwale of the boat with one foot, in the water and one in the boat, and turn, tbe rod to cause it to spin round and send' the hook and line in the form of a circle jußtin the water. The more rapid the action thebetter the fish bite.

As the fish bite or snap at the wooden hook: the fishermen swing them into the boat.. This is done so rapidly that the fish are often thrown right over the boat into the wateragain. The hook only takes sufficient Hold;, having no barb, to lift the fish from the* water into the boat. The advantage of thisis, that the man does not need to unbook his fish, and can have his rod in the water again in two seconds ready for another. If the rods are not kept going the fish leave the surface, and sometimes do not rise again. The rapid motion of the rod makes the hook appear like a small fish to the baracouta, and he snaps at it. Two men can catch a ton of fish or more in a day if the fish are biting well in this manner. Sometimes they are caup v a t in nets in the harbour, but this is unv^aal, The means of transit to market is siir.piy to take them in the boats in » which "they are caught either to the smokehouses at Port Chalmers, the railway station, br to Dunedin. landing stage. The boats used are certainly not speedy with a ton of fish in them, and' sometimes when a south-west squall comeson the unfortunate fishermen have to throw most of their oatoh away to arrive in safety under shelter. The means of disposal issimply to sell them for what they can get. The men engaged may make good wages or hardly tucker, a state of affairs greatly to be deplored for all parties. The next most plentiful fish to the baracouta is

THE BED COD.

The quality of this fish is exoellent provided it is not bandied to much. The flesh is just the opposite to the baracouta. It is soft and juicy, and has a really delicate flavour, either fiesh or smoked, if caught in good condition. It requires careful handling, as it becomes a mere pulp if it is allowed to remain with heavy weight on it for a few hours.

Like the baraoouta, the quantity is unlimited. But it appears often on our coast - when no other fish can be procured. The - means of oatohing employed is usually a., deep-sea line, 20 fathoms or less long, with from two to three hooks. Each man uses two lines of this description at a time, sothat while one line is running out he is haul--ing in one with two or three fish hooked. The} are also caught in Seine nets. The means of transit in present use almost, destroys this fine fish, as the handling isvery severe on its soft flesh. It is flakey when carefully handled, but a mere pulp when roughly used. The means of disposal is principally to the smoke houses. The; public appreciate it after it has been smoked only, as they do not get it fresh enough to enjoy it otherwise.

THE GROPER is a plentiful fish at certain seasons, and is oertainly of good quality when in season. It is canght on sandy bottom adjacent to rock, with doep sea lines and large hooks. This fish is classed as a sea perch in Hutton and Hector's work on the New Zealand fish. It has firm flesh, and can easily be sent a great distance without injury. The means of disposal for this fish is very limited, being only our local consumption of it fresh, as it is not smoked. If a fisherman catches a lot, he sells what he can, and throws the balance away^hioh happens very often.

THE MACKEREL is very plentiful for a few months, and is a flrst-claas fish, especially pmokod. It is generally caught by the '^«me net about Purakarui and Otago Heads. The nets used are not nearly large enough, as the ahoals are large and require a net that no fisheiman here is in a position to pay for. This fish carries well, as it has large strong scalep, and the flesh is firm.

MULLBT is very plentiful in samraer and autumn. The means of catching is the Seine nets used for general purposes by the local fishermen. There, is only a limited sale, as th§ fill) ig

cot a favourite on account of its numerous Ixraes, and it.is.rarelynsed smoked. ' • A BMALL- HERRING called by the local fishermen the sprat, visits our coast in enormous shoals. It is classed as a true herring by'Hutton and Hector in their,, work,- and resembles the pilchard in its habits. It appears here generally after Christmas, and remains about till July. I have seen it cast ashore in every bay and fc.ar.bouf that I have been visiting in its season, and will give one description here to confirm what many others, have seen, and which can - hardly be credited. I went with a party of four or. five to catch crayfish at Seal Point on the south east coast of the Otago Peninsula on a Queen's Birthday some years ago. Seal Point at low water is a flat rocky patch of two or three acres area* full of small and large .pooie. When our party got on the rocks, a cloud of albatioss, mutton birds, seagull?, .terns, shags, and other sea birds were hovering about. These birds were feeding on the pilchards, and one could scoop up tons: of them' in every pool on this point. The settlers tjld us they appear to be driven asliore by other fish feeding on them, and coma every few years in like quantities. I say them locked in Anderson's Bay at low water one morning, and sometimes have got them meshed in a garfish net in Otago Harbour. At Purakanui, Warrington, Otago Heads, Bluff Harbour, Invercargill, and Paterson's Inlet (Stewart Island) I have seen them stranded in great numbers. They certainly are very plentiful round the Oiago coast, and form the principal food of other larger fishes and sea birds. The ODly means of catching these delicious litttle fish is by hand nets in pools when they get locked in them at low water. They are rarely to be found offered for sale, although they simply swarm round our coast. Their habits are such that their presence can easily be ascertained by the quantity of sea birds and porpoises about, and then the catching of them is easy provided a pilchard net is used. This ie quite beyond the means of our local fisherman to procure, as it is an expensive net and requires careful handling. To know that such a fine fish swarms round our coast and that nothing has been done to catch i*-. evidences great , apathy, on the part of speculators in a perfectly legitimate and safe source of money-making. The quantity of tinned sprats imported either in oil *or smoked and consumed here is evidence that it would pay handsomely to catch these fish. No single fisherman can cope with tbe difficulties connected with catching them in payable quantities. In Cornwall, in Kngland, it takes a village of fishermen to catch the shoal, and men, women, and children to cure and cask them for export. In Hutton and Hector's work this fish is called the pilchard or sardine, and is spoken of thus : — This is the true representative of the herring kind in these seas, and it is reported to visit the east coast of Otago every year in February and March. On the last occasion it was observed that theshoal was migrating southwards and extended as far as the eye could reach, followed by a multitude of gulls, mutton birds, baracouta, and porpoises. "So densely packed were they ' that by dipping a pitcher in the sea it would contain half fish, so that if larger boats and suitable nets were employed thousands of tons could be caught. Now who can supply the larger boats aud suitable nets 7 The capitalist only, and he must be won over by the right sort of men engaging in the pursuit of fishing. When this comes to take place the public 1 will have a supply of the most delicious fish to be bad in quantities on our coast. THE BLUE COD is not plentiful on .the cast coast of Otago, but tbe west 'teems with it. The present supply here is from 3tewart Island, where it is caught in water from six to 30 fathoms deep with deep sea lines, and 31b or 41b of lead for a sinker with two hooks. Each man plies one line only. They are strong and difficult fish to catch, and in deep water generally manage to girate till they unhook or break their jaw bones and escape. A few can be caught from Otago Heads to the Ocean Beach. But the boats used are not good enough for these fishing grounds on account of tbe want of shelter. At Capo Saunderathe blue cod are large, and very plentiful at some seasons. This fish carries well, being firm in flesh, and in my opinion tbe best fish for smoking and tinning (about Otago and Southland. It is generally disposed of fresb, and goes to all up-country towns.

THE FLAT FISHES round onr coast are good and plentiful. The means of catching are very primitive, and they are seldom fished for except in the different bays, harbours, and river mouths, whereas there aie plenty in deep water. Only once did a properly fitted boat leave our harbour, and this was the Nautilus fitted up by Messrs Densem and Macacdrew. In speaking to .these gentlemeD, they have always assured roe that- the quantity of flat fish was unlimited. Their only difficulty was to dispose of them. They did not wish to involve more capital in opening fish shopfj or they would have still been supplying the market. All other attempts since then have been abortive and generally mismanaged, or else have not had any capital at command to push the industry. CRAYFISH are very plentiful at Seacliff, Otago Heads, Cape Saunders, Sandfly Bay, and all rocky bottoms along the coast. The means of catching is simply the ciicular net attached to a barrel hoop. The means of transit for this fish should be a well boat, as they require to be placed in the shopkeeper's hands alive or they will not sell. Lobster pots could be used in some places instead of the nets now in use. I made one and had it in use at Suswaitfs Island for my own supply, and ustd to bait it with pawa or mutton fish, and leave it down sometimes for a week. I generally got a good supply of crayfish in this way. It was made of the local black vine of wicker work, and took me two days to fin'sb. The disposal of the crayfish at present here is all fresb, although they tin in my opinion superior to tbe imported lobster if need curried. It would be quite impossible to deal with all the local fish in an article like this ; but my object is to point out the fish that would suit for catching in quantities. Fish like the ling, sand eel, garfish, trevally, moki, trumpeter, &c, are fairly plentiful. Even the frost fish may 6ome day be caught in

quantities when their habits are better understood. There are a few more questions that require to be settled to excite public inquiry and put the matter on a better footing, aud I hope some one with similar experience to my own will assist towards this end. There are 40 varieties of edible fishes in the British seas, and 33 known edible varieties round the coast of New Zealand. This proves our supply to be good. In a Memorandum on Coast Fisheries to the Joint Committee on Colonial Industries, 1871, by Mr John Munro, M.H.R , the writer says : —

I do not only believe, but I know, that there is an inexhaustible source of national wealth swarming unmolested round these islands, and on sunken rocks not yet discovered, that will yet be a profitable resource to the laborious fisherman, and contribute largely to the aggregate prosperity of the country. In my humble view our present mineral wealth is nothing now to what it will be in the time to come ? yet I believe that the fisheries of this colony will surpass it in 'wealth, permanency, and stability.

Now in the face of what I have wiitten, who would hesi'ate to invest capital when the right men ask for it 7 Besides the' fish, there are the waste products to give a return. The red cod liver oil is as good if not better than the importei. The guano to be ma J e from bones, head*, and other waste parts, is an item alone. flish glue also may be mentioned.

To make the industry permanent a llvine must be made at it by those engaged in; the pursuit of fishing. , Tliis can only be accomplished by having work for all hands engaged in bad^eather. Besides mending nets, making boats, curing, tinning, and packing fisb, a fisherman should have a plot of ground from one to five acres to cultivate, and when this is done tbe question of a supply of - fisb for home consumption aud export will be solved. Permanency of occupation for experienced bands, local and otherwise, who are engaged fishing is of vital importance to the success of a fishing community, and the fishing industry. Without capital none of cur resources would have ever .been developed, snd the fishing industry will never be. developed either unless the capitalist comes to the front, which let us hope will be soon.