64 THE CLARENCE HIVER OYSTER EISHERIES. 



for it opened the door to participation in these robberies to 

 any man who could manage to scrape together twenty shillings 

 to pay for the rent of one hundred yards of shore. 



Naturally these omissions have had most anxious con- 

 sideration by the Board of Commissioners to whom the 

 regulation of the fisheries generally is entrusted, and they 

 have made several efforts to cure them, but so far without 

 avail, for the time of the Legislature has been so over- 

 occupied by what has been deemed more important business 

 that legislation for the fisheries has been out of question. 

 However, the delay will not have been all loss. The 

 experience gained has been so large, and the knowledge of 

 requirements so increased, that it is now possible to present 

 to Parliament a measure so extended in its scope and 

 complete in its details as may possibly suffice without amend- 

 ment for a long future period. 



Such a measure is to be found in Part 3 of the Bill for the 

 regulation of the Fisheries and Oyster Pisheries of the Colony 

 elsewhere noticed in this pamphlet. This part of the Bill 

 provides for leasing Crown lands for oyster culture, and it 

 differs in principle from the present law in so far that it takes 

 power to lease land in large areas ; it also provides for the 

 protection of oysters on unleased Crown lands ; further, 

 assuming the existence of undiscovered oyster deposits in 

 the open sea, it regulates the manner in which such may be 

 worked. 



Amongst other provisions, lessees are to bo required to find 

 sureties for the payment of their rent. The purpose of this 

 is to prevent persons who have leased oyster-bearing areas 

 from stripping them of oysters and then practically throwing 

 the areas back on the' Crown, as has been so frequently done 

 nnder the present Act, and has resulted in such heavy arrears 

 of rent, which, in many instances, it Avill, we fear, be im- 

 possible to recover. 



The following brief description of the oyster deposits in 

 some of the principal waters may be of interest : — 



THE CLAEENCE RIVER OYSTER FISHERIES. 



This fishery is small, but for its size very productive. 

 The principal beds are the Home or House Bed, under lease 

 to A. Ross ; this bed is about 600 yards in length ; Brodie's 

 bed, extending from the Home bed for about GOO yards on 



