H—ls

The retirement of Mr. A. B. Hefford, who joined the Department in 1925 as Fishery Expert and who has been Chief Inspector of Sea-fisheries and Director of Fishery Research since 1927, will take place just after the close of the financial year. This long period of service in the Marine Department by an officer with wide experience overseas has been of great value to New Zealand in laying the foundation for a scientific fisheries administration. The year 1945 was mainly a war year and the final cessation of hostilities came too late in the year for there yet to have been time for the industry or the administration to get back on to a peacetime basis. The year 1946 can be forecast as largely a year of readjustment and settling down to normal peacetime functions of both the industry and the administration, and it is hoped that by the end of that year not only will definite progress have been made, but that long-term plans will have received consideration both as regards policy and rational utilization of our fishery resources. M. W. Young, Acting Chief Inspector of Fisheries.

4—H 15

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