﻿p. 
  Thomson. 
  — 
  Our 
  Fish 
  Supply. 
  881 
  

  

  alteration. 
  A 
  synopsis 
  of 
  the 
  Bill 
  appeared 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  Danedin 
  papers, 
  

   and 
  I 
  wrote 
  pointing 
  out 
  what 
  I 
  thought 
  objectionable 
  features. 
  When 
  a 
  

   Qo-py 
  of 
  the 
  Act 
  was 
  procured, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  general 
  in 
  its 
  details, 
  

   and 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Otago 
  harbour 
  is 
  concerned, 
  almost 
  unworkable. 
  AVhen 
  

   Ministers 
  arrived 
  in 
  Dunedin, 
  after 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  session, 
  no 
  time 
  was 
  lost 
  

   by 
  the 
  dealers 
  in 
  waiting 
  on 
  them 
  and 
  ascertaining 
  the 
  intention 
  of 
  the 
  

   Government 
  in 
  the 
  matter. 
  Deputations 
  explained 
  what 
  was 
  wanted, 
  and 
  

   arrangements 
  were 
  made 
  for 
  a 
  conference 
  of 
  all 
  concerned, 
  fishermen 
  and 
  

   dealers, 
  which 
  took 
  place 
  on 
  January 
  5th. 
  After 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  those 
  

   present 
  had 
  expressed 
  their 
  sentiments 
  on 
  the 
  matter, 
  a 
  memorandum 
  was 
  

   drawn 
  up, 
  setting 
  forth 
  the 
  sizes 
  of 
  fish 
  which 
  were 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  

   marketable. 
  These 
  sizes 
  were 
  : 
  — 
  That 
  no 
  flounders 
  should 
  be 
  sold 
  under 
  

   nine 
  inches 
  long 
  ; 
  no 
  red 
  cod 
  under 
  ten 
  inches 
  ; 
  no 
  mullet 
  under 
  nine 
  

   nches 
  ; 
  and 
  no 
  garfish 
  under 
  fourteen 
  inches 
  — 
  a 
  penalty 
  to 
  be 
  incurred 
  for 
  

   contravention. 
  It 
  was 
  not 
  considered 
  advisable 
  to 
  make 
  any 
  regulations 
  

   about 
  the 
  outside 
  fishing, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  thought 
  that 
  risk, 
  weather, 
  etc., 
  were 
  

   quite 
  sufficient 
  protection. 
  After 
  this 
  it 
  was 
  thought 
  there 
  would 
  be 
  no 
  

   grumbling 
  at 
  any 
  steps 
  that 
  might 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  carry 
  out 
  the 
  objects 
  of 
  the 
  

   Act, 
  which 
  are, 
  so 
  far, 
  of 
  a 
  merely 
  tentative 
  nature. 
  

  

  Nothing 
  has 
  yet 
  been 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  establishing 
  a 
  fish 
  market 
  in 
  

   the 
  city, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  matter 
  has 
  now 
  been 
  taken 
  in 
  hand 
  by 
  that 
  active 
  and 
  

   influential 
  body, 
  the 
  Chamber 
  of 
  Commerce, 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  hoped 
  that 
  a 
  market 
  

   place 
  for 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  fish, 
  etc., 
  will 
  soon 
  be 
  in 
  full 
  swing. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  gives 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  fishes, 
  taken 
  day 
  by 
  

   day 
  from 
  the 
  difi'erent 
  shops 
  m 
  the 
  town, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  by 
  inquiries 
  at 
  the 
  

   jetties, 
  Port 
  Chalmers, 
  etc. 
  I 
  have 
  taken 
  great 
  pains 
  with 
  the 
  table, 
  and 
  

   the 
  information 
  it 
  contains 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  substantially 
  correct. 
  

  

  Various 
  other 
  fishes 
  occur, 
  but 
  at 
  irregular 
  intervals, 
  and 
  only 
  one 
  or 
  

   two 
  at 
  a 
  time. 
  Among 
  these 
  I 
  may 
  mention 
  the 
  following 
  as 
  occurring 
  

   most 
  frequently: 
  — 
  The 
  Whiting, 
  Pseudophycis 
  hreviusculus, 
  is 
  got 
  occasionally, 
  

   as 
  is 
  also 
  the 
  Haddock, 
  Gadus 
  australis. 
  The 
  Granite 
  Trout, 
  Haplodactylus 
  

   meandratus, 
  occurs 
  now 
  and 
  then. 
  Quite 
  a 
  lot 
  of 
  Horse 
  Mackerel, 
  Trachurus 
  

   trachurus, 
  were 
  brought 
  to 
  town 
  in 
  March 
  last, 
  only 
  individual 
  specimens 
  

   being 
  the 
  rule 
  previously. 
  Occasionally 
  a 
  few 
  Gurnard, 
  Trigla 
  kumu, 
  may 
  

   be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  shops, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  shy 
  visitors. 
  About 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   January, 
  a 
  few 
  Tarakihi, 
  Chilodactylus 
  macropterus, 
  were 
  brought 
  to 
  market, 
  

   so 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  enrolled 
  as 
  a 
  summer 
  visitor. 
  That 
  very 
  dark-skinhed 
  fish, 
  

   the 
  Maori 
  Chief, 
  Notothenia 
  maoriensis, 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Haast, 
  is 
  not 
  uncommon, 
  but 
  

   is 
  rarely 
  seen 
  more 
  than 
  one 
  at 
  a 
  time. 
  The 
  Herring, 
  Clupea 
  sagax, 
  did 
  not 
  

   turn 
  up 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  summer 
  as 
  usual. 
  The 
  Kingfish, 
  Seriola 
  lalandii, 
  

   also 
  put 
  in 
  no 
  appearance 
  this 
  year, 
  

  

  