Thomson. — The Dimedin Fish Siq)ply. 325 



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. Pish 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 

 cm-ed 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 

 31st 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 

 scarce 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 fan- trial 

 in our waters. I refer to trawling— a method which is largety emploj-ed 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 

 j)articular 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. 



