H—ls

Oyster-cultivation for the Year ended 31st March, 1946 Area. I. Bay of Islands : 394,000 borers and 1,200 pupu destroyed, 1,770 square yards of rock cleared of weeds. Cost, £237 16s. 11. Whangarei Harbour : 231,400 borers and 1,293 pupu destroyed, 201 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell, 50 square yards cleared of grape weed. Cost, £lO2 14s. Bd. 111. Kaipara Harbour : 99,308 square yards of new stone laid down. Cost, £5,025 18s. 2d. IV. Takatu Point to Gull Point: 44,500 borers destroyed, 58 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. No cost. V. South Shore : 93,000 borers and 51 pupu destroyed. Cost, 12s. 6d. X. Motutapu : 136,000 borers and 56 pupu destroyed, 37 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. No cost. XIII. Waiheke : 602,000 borers and 335 pupu destroyed, 1,168 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. Cost, £8 15s. XIV. Ponui: 346,800 borers and 108 pupu destroyed, 371 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. Cost, £8 7s. 6d. XVI. Great Barrier : 265,000 borers and 96 pupu destroyed, 9 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell. Cost, £22 7s. 4d. Total for all areas : 2,112,700 borers and 3,139 pupu destroyed, 1,844 square yards of rock cleared of dead shell, 1,770 square yards cleared of weeds, and 50 square yards cleared of grape weeds. Cost, £5,406 lis. 2d. Dredge Oysters : Foveaux Strait, 1946 The 1946 season was most successful, a total of 94,459 sacks being taken from the beds, an increase of 18,421 sacks over the previous year. This increase, in the main, was due to the East Bed again being available for steady dredging. For some years now there has been a heavy growth of weed on this bed, but it has now been cleared away. Further, the weather for most of the season was exceptionally good. Paua The table given 'below summarizes the information obtained from the principal ■centres during 1946 :

With the development of this fishing, more information is available, but the statistics are by no means as complete as is desirable. While there is a great discrepancy between the number used as paua meat and the total number collected, it must be borne in mind -that many of the fishermen who collect paua use the flesh as bait.

29

District. Total Number collected. Number used as Shell. Value of Shell. Number used as Paua Meat. Value of Paua Meat. Wellington Canterbury Southland Totals 16,994 48,000 14,338 2,515 5,900 13,068 £ 285 245 2,654 14,760 1,320 £ 126 3i 79,332 21,483 3,184 16,080 157