THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14974, 22 May 1914, Page 5

THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

PROFESSOR PRINCE'S MOVEMENTS, • Professor E. E. Prince, the Canadian authority on fishery matters, who is at present in the Dominion preparing n report on the fisheries, accompanied by Mr F. Ayson, Dominion Inspector of Fisheries, came down bythe ferry boat yesterday morning from the North, and went straight on by the first express for the South. Speaking to a representative of "The Press," Professor Prince said that he had. first intended to stay three months in New Zealand carrying out his investigations, but the probability was that he would be a little longer than he intended. He was very much impressed with th© edible qualities of the majority of the fish caught round the coasts of both islands, and if asked to put his opinions on the whole New Zealand fisheries question in a nutshell ho would say that there was ample scope for a splendid and lucrative industry to bo established, but the present methods of obtaining tho fish and dealing with tho catches were obsolete | and out-of-date. If modern methods, such as were in vogue in America and Canada, were introduced here he had no doubt but that tho public, as well as those more directly interested in the industry, would benefit. , The Professor's attention was drawn to tho complaints made by fishermen and others at Bluff to the effect that he had not spent enough time examining the fishing grounds of the South. "I may say to that," said Professor Prince, "that I spent a good deal more time in the South than I have done in other localities, and 1 am perfectly satisfied with my survey there. I obtained all the information necessary for my purpose." Mr Ayson ' stated that Professor Prince and himself were off to Moeraki yesterday to make investigations into the industry; to-day they would go on to Dunedin, and on Monday would go on south to Bluff. When their business there was completed they would come back to Invercargill and then go to tho inland lakes. On Juno 6th they would probably pass through Christchurch on their way to tho West Coast, and would probably return again on June 11th, when they hoped to have the pleasure of meeting the members of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society and making an investigation into the river fishing in the district.