H—ls

considerably short of the ideal, mainly because it provides insufficient data for correlating the quantities of fish caught with the power and time expended in the catching. Better statistics, however, call for better and more thorough-going contacts with the industry —more Inspectors. It is also true that eight years ago provision was made for the appointment of three District Inspectors of Fisheries, providing for contacts with those engaged in fishing to an extent that had not been formerly possible. It is also true that in 1939 the Department became possessed of a newly built and specially designed oil-engined vessel of 65 ft. length which would have enabled our fishery patrol to operate on more equal terms with the new Danish-seiners, whose disregard for fishery regulations had for too long been practised with impunity. The same vessel would have enabled direct trials to be made of various methods of fishing and provided valuable scientific data on some important problems. This vessel was taken over for naval duties, and it would appear that her services are still required for those purposes. It is true that financial depression held back developments in the first part of the " thirties " decade, and five years of war have imposed relatively greater handicaps. These set-backs are not mentioned merely as excuses for things left undone, but rather to emphasize the urgent necessity for strengthening and improving fisheries administration to enable it to deal with existing problems and with the still more difficult ones which are assuredly lying ahead. The need is for more information—industrial, statistical, and biological —and a departmental set-up that is organized to make prompt use of it. A further point may bo mentioned regarding the legislative aspect. The Fisheries Act, 1908, was based on conditions that are now largely out of date, and, even when fresh, the conceptions which inspired the legislation were echoes of overseas enactments that were frequently not applicable to New Zealand conditions and were therefore " more honoured in the breach than the observance." The time is ripe for considering the drawing-up of a new Fisheries Act. The peculiar circumstances under which the commercial fisheries are conducted and developed make it necessary that regulations should be brought out or amended in the minimum time. Control by Orders in Council is thus inevitable. Only general principles and procedures can be suitably established by parliamentary statutes. Even so, there has been a general tendency for the issue and enforcement of fishery regulations to lag too far behind the practices which they are intended to control. To meet the requirements of the immediate future in this respect demands an increa ed and better-mobilized outdoor staff and better co-ordinated staff work at headquarters. It should be realized that fishery regulations cannot be drawn up, passed, and published and then remain unchanged for a long period, as is the case with most other departmental regulations. The active units in the fishing industry are pre-eminently enterprising and resourceful. This and the changed aspect of a fishery that may arise from natural variations or, more often, from progress in our understanding of the conditions, make amendments to regulations necessary at comparatively short intervals. A recommendation that at least should bo considered, for implementing when more normal conditions return, is that current fisheries regulations should bo issued annually and circulated to the holders of fishing licenses. Fishing-vessels and Personnel The number of licensed fishing-vessels operating in 1944 was 721, which is 30 less than the number engaged in fishing last year. Twenty-four small motor trawlers have gone, but Auckland and Wellington each had its fishing fleet appreciably reinforced by the return of one large deep-sea steam-trawler during the year. The figure for Danish-seining vessels remains unchanged ; and there has been a substantial increase in the number of vessels engaged in line and net fishing Amounting to 168 full-time and 349 part-time, compared with 114 and 319 respectively in these classes in 1943. The number of vessels engaged in oyster-dredging in Foveaux Strait and mussel-dredging in Hauraki Gulf remains unchanged at 9 and 3 respectively. The number of vessels returned as engaged entirely in crayfishing is 27, and those engaged for a portion of their time number 69, last year's figures being 39 and 63 respectively. Fishermen in the whole-time class have fallen in number from 856 to 711, while part-time fishermen numbered 641, as against 638 for the previous year. Particulars for the separate ports are given in Table I. Fish Landings The total quantities of fish and shell-fish landed at the various ports are shown in Table 11. Snapper, the most abundant species, shows an increase of 8,471 cwt. over last year's total and constitutes 35-37 per cent, of all the wet fish landed in the Dominion. Tarakihi, which is second in importance among market fish, also shows a notable increase of 15,669 cwt., and provides 14-59 per cent, of the total landings. The gurnard total is up by 3,314 cwt,., and trevally by 3,808 cwt. It should be pointed out, however, that a good deal of this increase may be more apparent than real, especially for the two last-mentioned kinds, in that improvements have been effected in the detailed returns from individual fishermen, so that sorts of fish that had hitherto been combined in the class designated " mixed rounds " have been properly classed under their specific names. Thus "mixed rounds," which figured as 20,659 cwt. (7-02 per cent, of total) in 1943-44, have decreased to 8,892 cwt. (2-89 per cent.) in this year's total. Similarly, " mixed flat fish" have been reduced from 4,803 cwt. to 469 cwt. The total for groper (hapuku) shows a fall from 22,144 cwt. (7-52 per cent.) to 21,901 cwt. (7-11 per cent.). The blue cod total is practically unchanged at 19,069 cwt. The total landings of flatfish (flounders, soles, brill, and " mixed flats ") amount to 31,610 cwt., which is less by 7,161 cwt. than the previous year's total.

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