^v 





1889. 



QUEENSLAND. 



I 1 !■ U K Iv 1 



EEPOET m THE OYSTER FISHERIES OP MORETOf M^ %^J) 

 GREAT- SANDY ISLAND STRAIT. 



Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command. 



Department of Ports and Harbours, 



Brisbane, 12tli August, 1889. 



Sib, — I have the honour to enclose Eeport upon the Oyster Fisheries of Moreton Bay and Great 

 Sandy Island Strait, prepared by Mr._risgn_and Mr. Boult, the Inspectors. 



I have, Ac, 



G. P. HEATH, Commander E.N., 



Portmaster. 



« The Honourable The Colonial Treasurer. 



EEPOET t)F OTSTEE FISHEEIES OP MOEETON BAT. 



Brisbane, August, 1889. 



SiE, — In accordance with your instructions, I have the honour to submit the following Eeport con- 

 cerning the Oyster Fisheries of the Moreton District, extending from Point Danger ou the south to 

 Laguna Bay on the north : — 



The sub-inspectors at present acting are — • 



MoEETON Bat, Noeth — Mr. Tripconny ; 

 „ „ Centeal — Mr. Wills ; 



„ „ South — Mr. Fasten, Mr. Atkin ; 



MoHETON Bat — Mr. Griflto. 



Dredge Sections. 

 Both in Moreton Bay and New South "Wales the laying down of cultivation in deep water dredge 

 sections has been almost entirely discontinued, as the result has almost invariably been loss of time and 

 money, the non-success being due, no doubt — among other causes— to the difference of salinity in the 

 water to which the young oysters are brought. Such being the case, it was considered wiser to let the 

 dredge sections which became vacant by effluxion of time await the natural increase, than to immediately 

 re-lease them. It was therefore not until December last that some were sold after remaining vacant 

 for more than twelve months. 



The majority of the dredge sections are now under lease, and the following are those which are 

 now being dre'dged : — 



In the South, No. 3, held by the Moreton Bay Oyster Company. 



„ No. 4, held by Potts, Morehead, and Co. 



In the North, Nos. 32 and 33, Bribie Chanuel, held by the Moreton Bay Oyster Company. 

 The others being held by the lessees awaiting natural increase. 



No. 3 is being worked from cultivation from the Amity Banks, laid down some two years ago. 

 The proceeds from No. 4 are due to the wonderful fall of spat after the flood of January, 1887, 

 which is also the case with regard to Nos. 32 and 33. 



With reference to those not being worked : On Nos. 9, 10, and 10a, a deposit of young oysters has 

 been found, but they are not so well advanced to maturity as those in No. 4, which seems to be more 

 favourably situated for growth and fattening purposes. 



Since the flood of 1887, the natural enemies of the oyster — viz., star-fishes, sea-eggs, and borers — 

 do not appear to have been quite so numerous. 



Banks. 

 For the purpose of noting any changes caused by the floods of July last, I, in company with 

 Mr. Sub-inspector GrifBn, recently visited the southern portion of the Bay, where we found that but 

 little damage had been done by the deposit of mud or sanding up of the banks. So fall of spat has, 

 however, yet been observed, which is probably owing to the fact that the flood occurred in winter. 



-m C. A. 78—1889. The 



