X] PEARLS AND SCIENCE 133 



The adult oysters are plentiful on some of the Paars and seem for the 

 most part healthy and vigorous ; while young oysters in their first 

 year, and masses of minute spat just deposited, are very abundant in 

 many places. 



"To the biologist two dangers are, however, evident, and, 

 paradoxical as it may seem, these are overcroivding and over- 

 fishing. But the superabundance and the risk of depletion are 

 at the opposite ends of the life-cycle, and, therefore, both are 

 possible at once on the same ground— and either is sufficient to 

 cause locally and temporarily a failure of the pearl oyster fishery. 

 What is required to obviate these two dangers ahead and ensure 

 more constancy in the fisheries is careful supervision of the banks 

 by someone who has had sufficient biological training to understand 

 the life-problems of the animal, and who will, therefore, know 

 when to carry out simple measures of farming, such as thinning 

 and transplanting, and when to advise as to the regulations of the 

 fisheries. 



(Signed) W. A. Herdman." 



In Herdman's further Report of 1904, certain 

 recommendations were made to the Government as 

 a result of his inquiry. 



He suggested that the dredge should be used 

 more frequently, to supplement diving for oysters, 

 and that more attention should be paid to inspect- 

 ing other regions of the pearl bank plateau than the 

 known paars. Furthermore, that all young oysters 

 appearing on certain paars, where they never reach 

 maturity, should be transplanted to more favourable 

 grounds. Another important point was that an 

 attempt should be made to increase the area avail- 

 able for attachment and growth of young pearl 



