THE OFFING FISHEUIES. 



as fisliing-grouncls tliey are, for the most part, practically 

 untouched, and so far as the home divisional fisherman is 

 concerned are almost unknown ; yet their producing capa- 

 bilities are not to he ranked as at all inferior to the grounds 

 in the Home Division ; they ahoimd with fish of all the species 

 common lo our coast, and if the smallest reliance is to be 

 placed upon the reports of the Eisheries Inspectors and Pilots 

 or Custom Officers stationed at the mouths of the various 

 inlets of such rivers as the Tweed, the Richmond, the 

 Clarence, the Bellinger, the jSTambuccra, the Macleay, the 

 Manning, the Clyde, the Moruya, Twofold Bay, and other 

 waters of less importance, there cannot be a doubt that a pro- 

 fitable industry lies ready for immediate development when 

 the necessary enterprise and capital are forthcoming. 



A reference to the map will show the large extent to 

 which the whole coast-line from north to south is broken by 

 rivers, creeks, lakes, bays, and other inlets, each of them 

 abounds with fish ; their existence alone is ample warrant 

 for asserting the imusual advantages which New South Wales 

 possess for establishing an enormous export trade in fish. 

 But really her advantages only begin here. She has besides 

 untold wealth to acquire when she places under contribution 

 the vast stores held in trust by the deep sea itself ; these 

 untold stores it is now proposed to consider under the title of 



THE OFFINa IISHEEIES. 



These exist along the whole length of the coast-line and 

 wide-off for a distance of 10 miles or more in water at a depth 

 from about 30 to 50 fathoms ; the position of some of these 

 in the more immediate vicinity of Port Jackson and the 

 metropolitan market, it is proposed presently to define. The 

 schnapper, which, for economic purposes, may be ranked with 

 the cod of the northern hemisphere, is distributed with 

 remarkable regularity over all of these grounds — whatever 

 the formation of the coast may be, this fish, perhaps the 

 most valuable, and the most abundant of all our forms is 

 never absent, and being essentially a rock fish in its habits 

 is not migratory. The same may be said of its congener the 

 bream, and in a lesser degree of the fi.athead, whiting, black- 

 fish, tailer, tarwhine, garfish, and other varieties which 

 frequent as well the bays and estuaries of our harbours and 

 lakes. 



