THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW 

 SOUTH WALES. 



Introduction. 



From an economic standpoint, the lishes of New South Wales 

 are at present of great importance; but their present import- 

 ance is as nothing compared to their vast possibihties ; and 

 I am confident that I am justified in saying that the future 

 will demonstrate that they are to be numbered amongst 

 this State's greatest national assets. Rich in a variety of 

 fine edible forms, these waters are no less rich in quantity, 

 and many of our species — more particularly those of a pelagic 

 or oceanic nature, such as the Mackerels — occur in such 

 overwhelming abundance as to make their capture and 

 treatment (in a commercial way) on a large scale a com- 

 paratively simple matter lor people of enterprise, knowledge, 

 and resource. In stating this, I am thinking chiefly of fishes 

 which are not at present of any importance in the markets 

 of New South Wales — fishes which, though present in our 

 coastal waters in incalculable numbers, are not usually 

 captured unless they make their appearance in the more 

 restricted waters of our harbors and estuaries (the latter 

 being the principal localities in which fishing for market is 

 carried on). But, apart from these, those species which are 

 just now of principal value in the fisheries of New South 

 Wales, may be captured in quantities immensely greater 

 than those at present marketed, all that is needed to bring 

 this about being a more improved fashion of handling the 



