with a view to procuring further information as to the resources 

 of the Cape Seas, the possibiHty of discovering new fishing 

 ground and applying new methods. A vessel, the Pieter Faure, 

 was specially designed and built for the purpose, and certain 

 parts of the coast were carefully examined. The chief practical 

 result was the discovery of certain new areas, in which large 

 quantities of fish, including soles, could be procured by trawling. 

 These regions were, however, at a distance of about 150 miles 

 from the nearest port with railway communications, and this 

 at first presented some difficulties, but, by the use of ice, it 

 was demonstrated that the fish could be landed in Cape Town 

 at a clear profit. Reports of the experiment were published, 

 in order to induce private companies to take up the work. 

 This was only too successful, and at first some of these enter- 

 prises came to grief. This in time righted itself, and there are 

 at present eight steam trawlers, fitted with refrigerating 

 apparatus, regularly engaged in the development of these new 

 fishing grounds. The result is that the fish supply to South 

 Africa has been about doubled, a special feature being that 

 soles, formerly a rarity, are now supplied in abundance. 



It is difficult, in the absence of full and rehable statistics, 

 to trace the actual state and progress of the fishing industry, 

 but some figures are available, from various sources, which 

 may throw some light on the subject. 



The figures of imports of fish into Cape Colony show some 

 striking features. The countries from which the imported 

 fish come are chiefly the United Kingdom, next in order being 

 the United States, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, and 

 other places, among which are Bombay and Hong-Kong. The 

 maximum amount imported into Cape Colony was in the year 

 1902, when the total value was £327,413. In 1909 it was 

 £77,605 for the Cape Province, and £170,583 for the Union of 

 South Africa. The fish are chiefly tinned salmon, sardines, 

 etc., a much lesser quantity of dried or cured fish, such as 

 salted cod and ling, or fish fresh, partly cured and preserved 

 in ice, such as Salmon, smoked Haddock, etc. 



These quantities seem to be excessive and to indicate the 

 necessity for further development of the South African Fishing 

 Industry. It is true we may place over against them the 

 quantities of canned and cured fish exported (chiefly Crawfish 

 and Snoek), which in 1909 amounted to over £33,000 in value ; 

 there is also a growing but somewhat erratic oversea export 

 of fresh and frozen fish. It is practically, however, a negligible 

 quantity, being at most only £716. 



It may be many years before the balance between exports 

 and imports in fish is reached, but there is no reason to believe 



[C.P. 6-'i4.] 



