H—ls

Gisborne. —Although the steam-trawler at this port did not operate during this year, the total catch showed an increase of 874 cwt. This continues the steady increase in the quantity of fish landed at Gisborne during the previous four years. This rise is clearly shown in the table below: —

Napier. —The annual increase in the quantity of fish landed at this port during the last four years has been continued this year. Of the total quantity landed (23,525 cwt.), 20,947 cwt. was caught by motor-trawlers. Last year the total for this method was 19,225 cwt. The one Danish-seine boat fished for eleven months and landed 2,001 cwt., showing a decrease of 627 cwt. on last year's total for the same period of fishing. Motor line and net vessels landed a total of 577 cwt., of which 339 cwt. (331 cwt. blue cod and 8 cwt. hapuku) were landed by a Napier boat as a result of two trips to the "Chatham Islands fishing-grounds. The total quantity of fish caught by this method on local grounds therefore shows a further marked decrease, the decrease being from 1,509 cwt. in 1945 to 342 cwt. in 1946 and to 238 cwt. in 1947. The annual landings at Napier over the last five years are given below :

Wellington.—The total quantity landed at Wellington increased again this year from 39,744 cwt. in 1946 to 44,291 cwt. for 1947, an increase of 4,547 cwt. The total amount landed by steam-trawlers shows a slight increase, in spite of the fact that one of these vessels stranded on 19th March and subsequently became a total loss. During 1946, steam-trawlers landed 25,237 cwt., and during this year landed 25,544 cwt. Of this, tarakihi comprised 21,324 cwt. Three motor-trawlers landed at this port during 1947, in comparison with one during 1946. As a result, the catch for this method increased from 1,532 cwt. for 1946 to 3,243 cwt. for 1947. The Island Bay line-fishing fleet again increased their total catch ; in 1946 their total catch was 12,277 cwt., and this year 14,711 cwt., an increase of 2,434 cwt. Out of the total of 14,711 cwt. caught by these line boats, 7,774 cwt. was hapuku and 5,255 cwt. ling. The netting boats increased their catch from 683 cwt. last year to 783 cwt. this year. The annual totals landed at Wellington over the past five years are given below.

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— 1943-44. 1944, 1945. 1946. 1947. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. "Total quantity landed .. 5,275 7,703 8,236 10,052 10,926 Tarakihi 3,138 5,641 6,308 7,547 6,864 Gurnard 607 1,244 1,167 1,549 1,444 Hapuku 309 289 359 358 775

— 1943-44. 1944. 1 1945. 1946. 1947. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed 16,615 17,865 19,194 22,249 23,525 Tarakihi 4,931 8,966 9,744 11,489 16,201 Sole .. -. • - 914 1,710 1,036 2,746 1,297 Hapuku 861 986 1,443 378 715 Gurnard .. .. 4,263 4,621 5,362 5,994 4,180

— j 1943-44. 1944. 1945. 1946. 1947. 1 Total quantity landed Tarakihi Hapuku Ling Cwt. 14,775 855 6,924 2,217 Cwt. 14,019 999 6,714 2,761 Cwt. 31,554 16,857 5,403 3,208 Cwt. 39,744 21,204 7,132 4,046 Cwt. 44,291 22,455 8,017 5,420