SHARK FISHING.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16726, 8 January 1920, Page 4

SHARK FISHING.

AN AUCKLAND I2TDUSTEY. Shark fisltinp as an industry is carried on to a certain extent at Matafcana, about -10 miles north of Even in ropcaxi days tho coast in this locality was noted for its infestracnt by sharks, and tho niuno kana, •which meatti "putrid iLsli,'' is said to bavo boon piven t:> it by the Maoris from a malodorous btench arising from tho pract.icw of drying on tlin lxocli catcb«R taken from t-hc prolific waters of tho coast.. Tlio io.tscn for the abundanco of the fish at certain seasons of tho year is that they .Mvarm into the shallow waicr off MuuiLutua. lor brcwling purposes in the summer months, and then readily fall a prey Ut fishermen. Some yeax;* ago ;t t.i<:tot.. was opened in tho district wttJi tnc object or rxtract.inc oil from tho livery ot sharks for medicinal um>s. and r.Midering down tho carcasjis to convert them , into fertiliser. Fins were saved and dried for eTpr.rt.ation tn the r .;ir where they are esto«me.d a dtili/'ney by Chine.so cpvrureti. The factory at. prescnt is idle, but tho industry of oil extraction and tlio exrport of fins, -Hid tl.e use of flesh ;us a fertdi-ser, is still carried on by Mr Fred Grecti, a soUler i.i tlic district, and in a .-mailer degree l>y other farmers. The present is the 1-inv of tho vear when the sharks abound at Matakana flats. An Auckland visitor , to the distriet during the holidays I nesscd tho capture ot .-evera.l formid- j nb!o fish, Oft and 10ft in length, and j on Air Green's expeditions for manufa-- | turing purpfrscs it is not uncommon t f > seeuro from 100 to 150 in a day, most It of larce dimensions. In securing tliem stout Manila lines are used, with strong i hooks, and the lure is generally the ( flesh of kahawai. To attract the iLsh ; is is usual to squoezo out on the stirfi't-e ■ of tlio water a quantity of oil from the livers of previously caucht sharks, an expedient which seldom fails to bring to , the locality anmo of the largest seaven- | gers lurking in the iieighbourlino<l. In the case of the largest fish, it is usual to play them for sr/ine time, ocacsionally hauliiig them up to tlio boat's side and there hittintr them up™ the snout with a heavy mallet, until they are sufficiently exhausted to lx- ultimately k.'pt alongside and .despatched with a knilo. Smaller sharks, 'say c.f !:t or oft. can safely be. brought into a l*:at at the first haul, ind there put out of misery! with a mallei. ,