N.Z. TRAWLING GROUNDS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXII, Issue 59, 7 May 1924, Page 6

N.Z. TRAWLING GROUNDS

For the supply of edible fisli from

the sea surrounding New Zealand, declared Mr L. F. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, at the annual meeting of the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society, there were great re sources that so far had hardly been scratched. Only one-twenieth of the valuable sea-fishing gtoirnds had been exploited He had investigated the area of s ea water, under 100 fathoms, from the coast outwards, and had computed that there were 9000 square miles of fishing grounds under that depth. Linemen could", of course, g.; much deeper. Of the trawlina grounds, after allowing for an area of rough bottom, over which it was impossible to trawl, there were stdl available about 50,000 square mile*- 1 . In the Wanganui Bight, said MAyson. the prospects for fishing w©-.e bright. These were beautiful trawl-

[ Jng grounds, and he could not understand wliy trawling was not carried on more successfully here. In a reference to the seine method of ca'io'iing fish. Mr Ayson said that the tesults in the Hauraki Gulf, so far ?■ the size of the catch was concerned, were as good as those from steam trawlers, while the cost was much less. He hoped, in a few years, to see a fleet of seine fishing boats centred on Wanganui. Off the mouths of the Wanganui, Rangitikei, aaid Mamiwatu Rivers there should be , good'fishing grounds for flounders had other varieties of fish. In one re- | spect, said Mr Ayson, New Zealand v led the world. This was in the successful establishment of Atlantic and ; salmon. Other countries had Vtried to establish them, but* had fail-

„ ed. Argentina, for instance, had endeavoured to acclimatise the fish in the waters of that country, but so far with no result. ;