A I ■ SI' RA L 1 A X F 1 S 1 1 J-: Rl lis. 



a pro])lcm; and it is only since 1908. when the Cf)nimon- 

 wealth riovernment took the matter in liancl, that methodi- 

 cal investigations have lieen carried out, and fortunatel}-. 

 and as will be shown, with marked success. 



The Au.Ntralian coastline, if taken from point to point, 

 measures j.coo miles, or thereabouts, and it would take a 

 great many vears for a single acsscI to systematically 

 explore the waters between the coasts and the hundred- 

 fathom line. Wdien, therefore, the " E^ndeavour " some 

 four vears ago commenced her fisl:ery investigation work, 

 it was decided to treat sections of the coast at a time, and 

 the areas within reasonable distance from jjrinciiv'd centres 

 were first chosen. 



This concentration of the work was afterwards found the 

 more necessar}', as experience soon made it clear that the 

 information contained on existing charts, which, in most 

 cases, ma}' ])e ample for ordinary navigation purposes, is 

 in nearly all mstances cjuite inadecjuate for trawling pur- 

 poses; for it is necessary not only to know where rocks 

 or rough bottom occur, so that they may be avoided, but 

 it is equaliv im])ortant' to know what ]:)ortions of the "soft 

 bottom '" ■i)ro\ide favorable conditions for hsh life, and 

 which are more or less barren. 



Still nian\- other conditions jM'esent themselves, and call 

 for careful study : the changing seasons of the year lead to 

 physical alterations, which, together w4th spawning s^'asons, 

 are the causes of migrations. Most species have a more 

 or less limited geograDhical sphere of 'movement within the 

 same ocean; and when it has been found that for some 

 reason or other certain important species are abundant in 

 one ocean, and do not occur in others adjoining, although 

 the tem])erature and food conditions ma}- be ])ractically the 

 same, it will jje realised that the task set the " Endeavcnu- " 

 was sufficiently comprehensive to necessitate contimious 

 and carefully-i)lap.ned investigations to be conducted within 

 limited areas in order to ascertain the true state of things. 



It was originally intended to carry out experiments with 

 various methods of capture simultaneousl)-. but experi- 

 ence soon made it clear that one method at a time was all 

 that could be systematical!}- dealt with; and. as this also 

 would be the means of giving results in specific directions 

 within the shortest space of time, it w^as decided to confine 

 attention to trawling and st'ch necessary scientific investi- 

 gations as circumstances appeared to warrant, and time 

 •<\ud opporlunit}- would affi rd. 



