SHARK HUNTS ARE RECALLED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17783, 1 March 1926, Page 7

SHARK HUNTS ARE RECALLED.

WHEN THE MAORIS CAUGHT THOUSANDS. (Special to the “ Star ”) AUCKLAND. March 1. The recent catch of 116 sharks at Matakana was claimed as a record, but Mr W. F. Dean, of Mangere Central School, states that this claim can hardly stand, as the Maoris used to make far larger hauls in olden times. More recently the settlers have endeavoured to exploit these natural haunts of the shark, and went so far as to endeavour to place the industry on commercial lines. The waters lying inside Kawau have from far-distant days,” writes Mr Dean, “ been famous as the haunt of a particular species of shark, which, when full-grown, does not exceed six feet in length and 801 bin weight. To this sport in by-gone days came large numbers of Maoris for the fishing, which lasted during the hot months of summer. Thousands of sharks were caught, and hung to dry on tea-tree poles on the long, sandy Spit, which to-day ends with the Lower Matakana Wharf. I have conversed with long- * dead pioneers, who remembered some of the last visits of the Maori to this % part, and they averred that the smell of those days was an offence to high heaven. COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION. “ Gone are those days. No Maori dwells there now, nor does he ever pay fishing visits to the one-time harvest field of his forefathers. During the last thirty years or so much fishing on commercial lines has been carried on by various settlers. For four months of the year active fishing operations went along merrily, and it was reckoned a poor season when less than 1000 shfarks died under the club per boat. The last of these fishermen gave up a few years ago, and now the shark is left in possession save for the occasional attacks of holidai'-makers and launchmen. “ An attempt was once made to carry on the fishing on a bigger scale —st factory was built at Lower Matakana, and the various products of the shark were to be prepared for market in wholesale way. During the years that followed, however, sharks were not overplentiful, wrong methods were employed, and failure resulted. “ One method of fishing proposed was the set line. witj» about 100 hooks. There was no trouble about the setting of these, but the harvest comprised a string of shark heads. Larger cannibals had cleaned the lines. MORNING HAUL OF 400 SHARKS. “ When J. was a boy I remember over 400 sharks being caught inside the Matakana Heads on one morning's tide. All these fish were caught in an area of not more than 300 acres, much of which is shallow flats left bare by the ebbing tide. From the high 'points overlooking the harbour it was quite a common sight to sec these flats covered with sharks, thick as shoals of mullet. A few. 3*ears ago two friends of the writer caught 151 in three hours’ actual fishing “ One peculiarity of this species of shark is that as far as I have been able to gather no fisherman has caught a male. All are full of eggs in the early summer and of young toward the close of the hot season. It is hardly to be wmndered that we hear so much of the plentitude of sharks, seeing that the average young of a female number at least thirty, and for years thousands that werte once caught have been left unmolested.

“ Very little actual sport attaches to the catching of these fish. Wholesale murder would be a better definition. Thick lines are used, the shark is hauled into the boat, knelt on and clubbed on the nose with a stout teatree club.

XHE SO-CALLED GREY NURSE. “ Much has been heard lately of the so-called ' grey nurse.’ The shark caught and designated as such is nothing of the kind, but a large variety that has always frequented these coasts. On certain days at Matakana these appear among the smaller sharks in quite large numbers. In size they attain about 12ft, but those most often caught range between Oft and 10ft. Liver of the smaller shark squeezed overboard rarely fails to bring them to the surface, and a floating line baited with liver almost invariably proves too great a temptation for ‘ Big Ben,’ as Matakana fishermen have long nick named this species. “ This species is a poor fighter, in spite of his size, and the expert fisherman usually settles the argument within twenty minutes. In early January of this year, in company with the best shark-fisher at Matakana, the writer assisted at the obsequies of numbers of these so-called * grey nurses ’—five of which we landed one morning—fishing from a 16ft rowing boat.”