Tuomson.—The Dunedin Fish Supply. 825 
returned to the water. In talking this matter over with one of the dealers, 
with a number of specimens before us, a size of flounder was considered, 
and in his opinion, in which I quite concurred, all below eight inches in 
length from snout to tail should be rejected. Fish under this size are 
really not worth the trouble of cooking. Complaints as to other fishes are 
not so often made, even the red cod, though caught very small, being 
available for table use in a smoked state. 
This latter mode of preserving fish is pretty generally used both in 
Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and large quantities of barracouta, ling, moki, 
trumpeter, blue cod, and red cod are cured and sent up country and to 
other towns for consumption. Some curing is also done in the southern 
district. This is a trade that is yet in its infancy, a very extensive market 
lying open for occupation, both in this and other colonies. The herring is 
cured extensively at Picton, and sold everywhere as bloaters; and it must 
be admitted they taste much like the real Yarmouth article. The mullet, 
which is common in Otago, and sometimes called herring, does not cure so 
well, as it is generally very fat, and consequently does not keep. 
The table given below contains the names of the fishes, and the number of 
days they were in the market during the year, from 1st August, 1876 to the 
91st July, 1877, both inclusive, with the number of days on which there 
were no fish. 
From the figures in the table it will be seen that the supply has been 
much more steady and liberal than during last year. This is in a measure 
due to the pretty regular shipments sent up from the Bluff. One or two 
welled boats have also been at work on the coasts adjacent to Otago Heads, 
These welled boats bring in moki, trumpeter, and other fishes to the port, 
and thus keep the market supplied with what used to be considered rare or à 
searce fishes. With the exception of ling and sole, all the other items in 
the table show a large increase on last year's returns. 
There is one mode of fishing which has as yet received hardly a fair trial 
in our waters. I refer to trawling—a method which is largely employed in 
the seas adjacent to the British coasts. Some years ago a vessel was 
brought over from Melbourne for the purpose, but the scheme was aban- 
doned before a fair trial had been given to it. I am convinced that, were 
this plan of catching fish properly gone about, a constant supply could be 
sent in nearly every weather. The vessels being welled could be kept 
cruising about till a sufficient cargo was got together, when the port could 
be run for, and the fish disposed of as required. A supply of soles in 
particular could thus always be depended upon, and there is no doubt that 
other ground-feeding fishes would be caught in quantity sufficient to make 
the enterprise pay. i 
