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In addition to the above the following officers performed naval service : — Drummond, G. A. .. Mentioned in despatches on several occasions, and awarde d D.SC' for service in Zeebrugge raid. Killed by being blown up in mine. sweeper. Jlealy, P. J. . . Served in Navy. Knowles, J. H. . . When on way to England to join Navy was lost in " Aurora." Mitchell, G. S. .. Served in Navy. Peterson, C. W. A. . . Served in Navy ; was awarded D.S.C. Personal. I intend to retire from tie Service at the end of December next, and therefore this is the last annual report on the Department which \ shall make. T desire to place on record in it my thanks to the officers lor the willing assistance which they have given me in carrying on the work. • I had intended to retire at the end of 1915, but as the war was then on it appeared to bo only right that 1 should stay on until it was over. I have, &c, George Allport, Secretary. The Hon. the Minister of Marine, Wellington.

The Chief Inspector of Fishrrier to the Secretary, Marine Department, g IE ,_- Wellington, 10th July, 1919. I have the honour to present the following report on the fisheries for the year ended 31st March, 1919. The following fishing-grounds and fishing-ports were visited by me during the yea-r, viz. : Kaipara, Whangarei, Bay of Islands, Whangaruru, Great Barrier, Hauraki Gulf (including Thames and Coromandel), Tlawkc's Bay, Nelson, Marlborough Sounds, Kaikoura, Lyttelton, Kaiapoi, Ashley, Hokitika, Timaru. Oamaru, Moeraki, Port Chalmers, Taieri Mouth, and Invercargill. I inspected the oyster-beds at Bay of Islands, Whangaruru, Whangarei, Kaipara, Great Barrier, and Hauraki Gulf, and the toheroa-beds north of Kaipara. I also visited the salmon-hatchery at Ilakataramea several times during the year, and also made an inspection and arranged for necessary repairs to be made to the salmon-hatcheries at Te Anau and Pembroke. From the reports supplied by the Collectors of Customs and. Inspectors of Fisheries at the different fishing-ports it appears that a great deal of stormy weather was experienced through the winter and well on to the end of last year (1918), and on that account the supply of fish coming forward for weeks at a time was very irregular and quite insufficient for market requirements, and at such times the wholesale price at the auction markets ruled very high. The more exposed fishinggrounds' along the east coast, from Napier south to Bluff, were affected to a greater extent by the unfavourable weather conditions than the fishing-grounds farther north, where there is a- much greater extent of sheltered water well stocked with snapper and other market fishes. The high price and short supply of coal, benzine, nets, netting-twine, and all other necessaries connected with the fishing trade are affecting both the fishermen's earnings~and the supply of fish for market throughout the Dominion. The following is a summary of the information supplied by Collectors of Customs and local Inspectors of Fisheries in their reports for the year :—■_ Hokianqa.- There were nine boats engaged in fishing, as against fifteen in 1918. Very few fish were cauo-ht during the year, the varieties being the same as in previous years. The quantity taken cannot be given as they arc; sold only for local consumption and distributed over a large area in small quantities. Russell. Inspector Flinn reports that the supply of all kinds of fish during the past year has been very »ood, and that, notwithstanding severe and stormy weather during the winter and spring months the local fishermen have done very well. There is a growing demand, for both fresh and smoked' fish throughout the North, and this demand has been well supplied. As there is only one steamer a week to Auckland very few fish are sent to that market. From the beds in the Bay of Islands 4 840 sacks of oysters were taken last season : of these 300 sacks were sold locally, and the balance. (4,540) were shipped to the Government oyster-depot at Auckland. Over the greater part of the beds there has been a poor fixing of oyster-spat; in a few places there is a. fair showing of younc oysters, but this is confined to a few localities. On account of the poor showing of young oysters the quantity which can be taken for market this season will not come up to the quantity

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