456 



of our waters, to ascertain what trawling grounds we possess 

 nearer market, their extent and capabilities. 



It may not be out of place in the record of a trawling 

 cruise, to draw attention to the fact that, whereas formerly 

 the people of Australia and New Zealand were extremely pre- 

 judiced against eating any but what were regarded as the 

 primest fish, such a change of opinion or practice has taken 

 place, that species previously despised now command a ready 

 and eager sale. In Adelaide, as doubtless everywhere else, 

 fish is served and accepted at public tables under assumed 

 names, but, further than this, the public is buying so-called 

 inferior kinds in the open market. In New^ South Wales the 

 State trawlers are regularly disposing of large quantities of 

 fish which a few years ago would have had to be thrown away 

 as unsaleable. Now, however, tons of Rays fUroIopIuis, 

 Aetobatis, Raja) are utilized; even the largest Sting Rays 

 ( Dasyatis) are cut up and sold, generally under the name of 

 "Skate," and the fishermen themselves eat them on board 

 in preference to other fish. The "fish-bone" trouble will 

 thus, at any rate, be avoided. The much despised Leather 

 Jacket (Cantherines ayraudi), the htte noir of the line fisher- 

 man, is now eagerly purchased, while the Flying Gurnard 

 (Ptenjf/otrigia polyommata), formerly regarded as of small 

 account, is not only readily marketed, but has proved to be 

 one of the most abundant of the edible fishes of the deeper 

 waters of New South Wales. 



The change here briefly indicated may be due to the 

 increased cost of meat consequent en the war and on drought 

 conditions, but the encouraging fact remains that having thus 

 eaten despised fishes as a quasi enforced experiment, the 

 public will, it is believed, in future purchase such fishes under 

 any condition, and the trawling industry is likely to be 

 enormously benefited, and it is hoped extended thereby. We 

 believe that it is well within the mark when we say that 

 hitherto fully half a trawler's catch of good wholesome fish 

 had to be returned to the sea owing to prejudice. In thus 

 making greater use of our marine wealth we are but following 

 the lead of Britain, where twenty years ago Dog Fishes and 

 other so-called coarse fish were thrown away as offal, but 

 to-day find a ready market. U) 



Further discussion on the economic aspect of trawling is 

 outside the province of the paper, the object of w^hich is to 

 enumerate the fishes obtained. 



The Ostracions, merely listed here, form the subject of a 

 separate paper. 



(DWaite, ••Sci. Results N.Z. Govt. Trawling Exp.," Rec Cant. 

 Mu6., i., 1911, p. 2eO. at .wq. 



