OUR FISHERIES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2121, 13 April 1914, Page 7

OUR FISHERIES

SEAS NOT YET EXPLOITED /■■■ BIG POSSIBILITIES CANADIAN EXPERT'S VIEWS ■ Very optimistic, views as to the possi- : Ijilities of tho iisjfmg ifttnstry in New Zealand are held by Professor Kdwaril Prinoo {Canadian Coinmjsskupr at I'isberce«), who lias earno to this country at tiw request of tlie Government to inspect and report upon the inland and coastal fisheries with a. view to tfeir bettor development and utilisation. In Canada magnificent natural resources, private onterjjriso, and a, policy of capful conservation and judicious eac«ii> agement by tho State, havo combined to bund up ah industry which has an mmttal value of between £6,000.000 and £7,000,000. lu. New Zealand live fisliing industry is in its infancy. No , «onipiehtaisive statistics ate available, but tlie total value of the fish exported from tho Dominion in 1912 was £53.463, atol preserved fish to nearly twice tiiat vahw (£108,105) was imported. Professor Prince is of opinion, however, that ttao industry can readily too improved until it occupies an important place both as regards flonvcstic ajjel foreign Ijra*ki, When ho was interviewed by ,% Dwhinion reporter,, ho furnished soine intercstiiig oliserrations t'otii upqn these ties aaid ujiou the stojss that have boon taken to lift the flsliiiig industry into its proseuis pvomimjiii pesitiflii in Canada. The ExamjiTe oi OaH.ada. Tiio Canatlian fisheries, Pl-ofessac Prince remarked, o.cc«.pioa almost first piaco mnonp&t tho fisheries of tie World, espccialiy for certain kinds ©f fish, si.idi •as ood, halibttt, and salmon. The. freshwater fisheries a»o also important, aiad tho greater part of the frcsWatct fish, ;including.the lake white-fish, a very [highly-esteemed table fish, and like \ homng and trout, were largely esported to the United States, the domestic consumption in Canada toeing limited. Very important fisheries are carried oil in winter through tho ico, and on sueli lakes as Lake Winnipeg large quantitlos of fish are taken every winter in nets manipulated widerneafti the ic«. Tlioro are atls'aiitages eojinecteij wiatliis «inte* fisliing, 'iflasmacji as ; the Jjsh ara frozen as sooji as they are eauf lit, anci ea.n thos be shipped , i<3 fe ■tant murlcats. Tfio Canartiaii fisljerigs ■havo not only inaJn:taiiie.ti their ptobirt have develojjed euormeuslj'. Witliiu the last twenty Erofcssor ■ Vmasi stated, they hafl tere:wcd by finj per rent., and tho value of tfe liidustiy to-day was .(iboiit six times as great as it was forty years ago, Tills satisfactory result he. attributes to tw principal causes, the w;ks protection and aoministratlon of fi.slicry Irtw-s/aud extensive Mi cuJtwe cperatioivs. When' the Dominion of Canada eatno into es■lstenco, by tho union of ihe vitrioii-s provinces, in W7,, a Fisheries Act wa.s passed, wlirch in the main has eottti-mtcd to be inifoKfid. and. lias boon very effective in , preventing- the wasteful • destruction' of fish. Aaothef indication of the ptoKressmntle is to bo found in the feet that in 1867 thoro wcj;o only ftree nslihatohtries in fte- Dommion r>{ 'Canada, whereas new thci-o ai"e 45. The liatcherics are Used far hatehiii.g khstora, shad., salirion, trout, and Wcrious kinds of wlnte fish, but tho hatching of eea■ftsh lias been limited 'so far owing to tho immense Broductiveabss of the- fishuijr banks. Tho cdd-fisMng bitiiks of tite fad of I3t, taweneo aid of NewrcuMdisndi Prdfossor .I?riite(*"tfiiiaifed, were probably the most prMifio' ni the world, jprtd the Iwliliut jjshenfls af BH, tish Commbia have yielded , inimoßse anj nual eatehes daring the last ton years.

Boundary troubles, Canada, Tfofessw Priu.ee. tt'ctii m fo state, was in rather a prajnlitir pftsltion ewnjg to its justinpQsitiftn to £ho "Baited States. _ The great lakes and some- «f the manrae fishing areas aro shared by the two countries, tho intermalioßal uonudar* being an inragina-ry 'Jine from sea to sea, which ruiis through the great lotas a«4 tip soilie of' the Canadian rivers, in spite of wise policy ot preservd'tfen mid qf fish .propagation, «ftws of the fisheries hay©'suffered to an extent ftom excessive. fish* ifiK by Asiciicau fisheniieii. oser whom Canada has aio e olitrol, Thfe jisg bo&u imardetf so seriously that In 1-&08 tbo Right Hoa, J, Brjce (now Viseo.UHt %ee), then British Ambassador alt WnsbiHgton, and President Roos.eyclt arranged a fisheries treaty> wnclof which international regulations" Were- to Lβ framed., and enforced by both countries Miroiighout the boundary waters. .President Starr-Jdtdan (of Jj<i]ii«]-St<m' ford IMversity) ivfts appointed tTiutci States Commissioner for this treaty, a'ftil Professor- Prince represented Can* ada in a like capacity. A Tories of Meatfly severity fishery laws Were drawn srp by the Commissioners', hut, vntattiinatelyj the treaty stilt awaits fuljilnwnt by the United States, although Canada flid her jjni ! t five years ago,

New Icalarid P&ssfbllitjos. "'■The- situation in Ncvf Zealand is less complicated than that, of Oqivodii/' said ifrefeSsor P.rinee. "There fe no fewign-ii-oigbliour sharing in the fishing groujids of this Dominion, and its fishing areas have rwt% not yet been exploited at all. Tho only difficulty that appears t<» me to exist in eoiiiiecßoii with the fiomnieroial dicvdnpment of tlio fisheries ef this Doifliiiiei! is that some of tlie rnost ptentiW and important fislie.3 hi Ne-sv Zealand waters are not kiowii in tbo groat markets of the wflrfd.- Fishes 1H«O tho Ijliio «nd alu'l the scimapjrev only require to lio introduscf] into the world's ftroat mwfcetsj a ">l tlvcir oseel-. lent table qualitvp-s jmist win for them very rapicjly an i!ii;portaf.it place'. Of course, the domestic demand in Jfcw Zealand can b<? i.mmeiiset.v iiiea'cnsml. ■ lOssentinl steps to secure tin's are tetter methods of tj-aiisportaticm aiul more efficient Handling of' the catches when imMKht into port. Tlie Oaii3t<jja.n GwWNMeiit have eattiec! out an injprov<«l method of railroad traiispottatioit ot! fisli, not only arraiigiiig for special refrifiurater (ish-crtrs to bo attached .»<= swift cxpross trains carrying tho fi'sn from the m ftoast iitto tho interior, and providing similar focilitios for the distribution ox fresh-water tish, kit also refunding to shippers of fish a consider-ji-bl* jeKste on i'fej.g.lits. fho result lias been that the domestic consumption of fish in O-»ttada during tiio last fiv* years lias about <lonbkd. awd Iho csjiert of fresh ft.sh to tli« Hμtod. States inarIsets has decreased; considergb.i.v. This means that Canadians a-ro'iww getting more adequate, supplies ef tlie-ir mvn excellent iish, instead of its terns sent away to- foreign iinv.rfects. Nowh'-settiwl W-csteiu areas in Canad-o in wiikh Jish has hitherto bean almost wiknowu are \io\v receiving cwistant supplies." A Trade that will Pay. "It would certainly pay Now Zealand," Professor Priliee dpclarad, "to develop a big export trade in fish.' This is proved by the fart that recontl.V nieiits of halibut Jiayo been imido from Vanrouver to (irin'is.l);;, in. JJnjstWi via Capo Horn, and sold .at a- prafit, This is a very rnmiii'krtblo fact, whew it is honw in mind that Griinsftj is the Ima4-ijuai-tere of one ft I' tho greatest lialilnit ftsbin'ies in exist-oiiGO, a great it.eei of trawlei-s taking in vast quantities t rf fish, including immense sljipwrnsts ff halibut, not 'only freiji tho Sen, but from Iceland and the Arotio sons.." The development of the luililmt, cxirort ■froni Cana-da, Professor T'rluce cofitu> ued, was the restil.t of a Echcmo which ■Uo urged io years ago <m the attention

of the halibut fishing firms ■pi" tho Pacific Coast of Canada, ikmie Of these peoplo hail scoifod ft.t iiie idea of supplying ftg English market, but Mm «y<?Ht Ivatl 6'!)<!«i\ that they vojo Wroi);*. 'Hie great pojMilaUoa oi' the Ikitol Kingdom mafeos the regular demand" for fish enormous, and' mocloru utelteis of chipping liayc so rodiified ilw. eo&l of transport thai:, it is passible to supply fc wsry distiil.it , tnaHcirt. Profussor Prince is of epinion that tk> L ! »sti«B_facilities for shipping fish from the Pacific to Kuropo are so g<«c : l tii-ab the opening «f the P«jiai«a Caiml wijl probably malm no differences \» 4ho ti-nde. It is mors than likely, ho thinks, Hint fetcataofs tnnsportiwg fish' will adhere to their ptvsent I'outo round tit? Horn. Canned Fish in the Islam Apart v from the European Marfan j 1 rojosspr .I'mico suggested that js'aw Kealand fish exporting tifms might Utm llieir attention to f ijj and. other Is.(m 4 groups in tfio I'acific, Jlo jiolkxk] .on ];,« ivav to iNosv .Zealand that Fiji and-aOr groups were bring supplied wift .ciumed: iisii, very often, rufftridr species of siiinon, sijoh as tlto salmon" It- sesntxl absurd, ho remarked, tfc* Ui© csEclteat fish from-New ■ Zeatad' Biiould apt supply t}m demand in tbescj istals. It appears that the natives ajo foally -wow inclined to- ijso : f6bd piiopa?e(J m tlie white man's way (by can' teiiig, rto.) %-a to catch and tisu fe hslt jit. their <siVii seas. Nβ deiibt,' t'to-i-esamr.l'rituse remaifeel, -fil© firjitetplo of limtfttkn is the osplartaWn of thiis slate ef attairsj ft means that jii fte ■hiiiiro ttoo is going to J) is a very :bi;* : deaand in tlio ilslands for preseivod Hsli of various Muds, "It dims seem absurd," lie contimied, "thist -Now Zealand Should import siich largo qiuantitics of canned tish TWin nkrOAfi. Most <rf the prtftcipal groeerj firms in Wi'llington niato quite a ■show of Scotch, Norwegian, ancf other canned flsli, jiiosf of which is far inferior to ifc> fali'wi.iioL 3 r ettr oivu Wftlers provWtt." The tiumMQ Herring. With .re«pcc't to fho herring, Professor I'imm Said that the efforts already mnde to introcluco the Scotdi herring into Aβ* Zealand wa-ters must meet with success, and part of, his work wouM bo to afrvise some efficetivo njenns of sgcw- '.'(» nvrge ef herring sjiuw-ii ior the liUi-pose of stocking Uie jiisljoia waters of the Koiiiiiiipiu fto objefct ill KstalilMiiig a l»jrge \\eakg supply shhiw to tliat obtainod in the S'ortli Sea and in Cauadiau wa-telrs ffas .not inefoly to eroatp a new fisii svippl.v, Wt u>. iin-' prow the Kvinply 'of other son-Bali. w tower tl» liemug ahotjn'Jcd vaiuaMo fish <rf other varieties also frequented tlio waters in greater aWnrlanoe, and t'ho absence of th.e h»rrinw often jiieant that tho supply of sea-fish .geiieroHy was far less abuildiwit, Kovettt-ng to the qnestifen of export weoe,. Prafossor Prince repeated tliivfc w Zoalafld flsli, tjwugh not 1m0w.1.1 at IJi-eseiit ujkiii tlie Entapcau and otlu-i----great .markets of i ; ho Worltt, woiild feadihf esttiMteli themscltes as ■fish of cffiisiaeralito reputafion,, provSdcd Urn JiocGssary spirit of, cCinnioreial.(ttiterpriso ivila shown, A's a em hi pakk, he ijicuttsncd that of the l»aeife satiiniji, a ftsli ffhjdi j s jiotv known all over the toW.. It was pjijy iiftor it ted hccii pushed on.tfe Kutopea-n inai-laet tlint the present .imteejusft" demand Was ere. ated, however. The .so-ca-llod sahuan of the .Pacific Coast of North America, Prolessor Prfiico remarked, Was wot realty ■ft true salmon at all. It dife«l froiiv tlus ifiie salmfln in many features, .ri.i.rd wljcii fresh wins grecrt-ly inferior jii'tivlik (itelitioß t<i the true snliiron. of *ho Britmi Isluijds and tiro Atlantic tfeast of Caimda.. :%ientine ni.sii placod tlto ij'acifi'n sa-lwon. in a different zoological semis, mid <Jid srot regard it as teloii.Ting to to geuus 'saline-. " '

limitations of Trawling. Tin* -development of a big Mmra industry in .this country, IWxssso* Pi'hvo added, .would uo-t only build wp » hardy pojMjliitiqft accasw-m-ea to li.fo ' oi.i th's Son, tout wotildiii addition- ftrovidd oift.Ijlojmomi for many ot-Itev .people* fa sub* sfdwi-y industries, siicli as transport wodc, fisli-prnsefrtng, tho awpvh pi boats, nets, aij.d so forth, in Canada, thanks very largely to a sy*i tern of Iwuiifciissl, tlio typos of boa : ts k Use iittro beoij 'grcatty'inipftivcd, Tim <jtiosMan. of iraivliug,,' said 3>rofOKsbf pripft, was a- vcxttl-anp. Ilk OWil Pf-rieufco had 'Joojiyinoed 3jim thai nil sa.mo sltdros teawliitg was mrov BWh' to doTOlop as an iiidu-stry at -afl. It witsonly ill Sonus ..plaoos that thb plij-sical c-haraetGfist-.ics ncrlmitcd v tlfd 'Mso'cif Clio ti'SM'l, aw) wlibr-o -fish could h'ci j-oadily tak-eii hy ihat )ivoai)s, TJiero frero .groiif, fislißfiGS to yhic'h tfawHirg Avfts iiiapplioa%, Jiotably tlw halilidt ' in Bri,tis)4;.,ootoibia J ,,:'iv ; !iich. Was offrriod oil irifli Imc aiirf baik' Sa'.tjtfou aiid ■h.prrtng, toiii iV'L'ro taken tfit'h triips At , gii-K.jtefcS, wild nob vvitlj the Otioj el , beam trawl. In Bijvto af the dovdapiiioiit of elcam , travrtfog, tlicte was still a-ta im-jnciisQ iticld Jot the olSor Methods of fishia^ Revival In Whaling, Wtia ivlm-ting indiistry is Enotlio* wiifeh Prsifessoi- Prince f,li.h.i. ; ks mighfe very-.-watl Up (!cv*t«ipod in New inodorn lines, aiicl l?.o. srxs uo reason \vh.V. it should iiot yield haiidseittc jviimns, providedalHtewhalo arofully, utilised. Tho latest iaftt'lioils of -utiHs« iitg .n-hnlct prottucts. \vtiro s-osnlted in ft' revival »f \v)wHiig Mi British MuhibSsi iiiid iwiidsome profits "lirsvo been c.aynPa .by those eftgagwl, Tho Oannfia.n Q.oy-, Vfrinnei.rt, reiilisfiig tl'ra-t Ao wlialcs #0. incioasing in valii.o, has teikcn steps io supervise tivo fislipvy and. to insttyp tho ]?o.i-'inaiimieo of tho stihoai.s of wliaics wlric'h, lac-liing ft uieasiiri* of pretcGtiiyii, ■ffotthf be 'very 'easily exterminatod.