FISH AND OYSTERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 62, 6 December 1919, Page 9

FISH AND OYSTERS

THE INDUSTRIES IN NEW ZEALAND

POSSIBILITIES OF DEVELOPMENT

.Mr. L. F. Aysoii, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, iias just; returned tiom Austriilia. ul'ter niiiking thore hji exhiiuslive iiuiinrv intu the felling industry as enrriflil on in the miioiis St;ile<, and uc is to renort In Iho Governineiit. on the results of his ii.restißiitiuns, no doubt with n view |<i the adopt iuu of sotno schemes for .the development of the industry on Ihe Now Zealand coast, and the development also of maiketing methods. Mr. Avson has always been an optimist almut the nossibilities of Ihe indiiotrv in N'ew Zraliind, and he has come back frcm Australia more convinced than ever (hat in our sea fisheries New Zealand has an asset the v.ilue of which is seareelv realised bv anyone in the coin-.try. l)isciissiinr this mnti-cr with a reporter yesterday lie saw that Now Zealand certainly had the best fisheries South of the Line, it thev wen', developed. Our fish were, he iho'.iu'hi. inlinitelv superior to tho.-e nf Aush-alia. Also, he said that kh\ priwa chaivctl in Austr.ilii for fish, i:oth wholesale and retail, wero very much higher than were the rule in New Zealand, even at. this time, when it \vas._ generally considered that the price of lish was al>normallv hiitli. Mr. Ayson could not, of eoiipe. djseu-s the recommendations he- nmv make to the Cioverninent in connection with his inquiries.

Oysters If:'. Av.son made some remarks about ovster fisheries. "All the oysters comini; if.tn the Sylaey am! JSrisba'ie mar-k'.-ts." he said, "come from leased artificial beds on the foreshore. The price m Svdnev, Hrisbanu. and Melbourne runs from. ,£!t to M Ws. a saclc of 12(1 dozen. This is a very hiijh price compared with (hat ciwvsed in New Zealand for oysters from our natural beds Kock oysters are sold bv the New Zealand ("Invernnienl. from the deno"; at lis. per sack of from ill) to 100 doz"n; 'J'his is an enormous j difference. We have no artificial heels in New Zealand. In the north we luive liuwoved and extended (he natural beds, bul:. with the increasiii!,' demand for ovsrers the Govevniuent must ono day lake ui) the culture of oysters on prepared beds or. a more cxtensiv? scale than has vet been done. I am of fie opinion thai: we have on ihe shores of the llauraki Gulf and in the Hay of Islands and the estuaries in Iho north :■. very larßiextent of foreshore where Ihe cultivation nf oysters could he enrrird on by methods similar to those used in Australia. With regard in Ihe Foveaux Sh'.-nts natural bed.-]. T ihink that these may be extended bv contniirm: the T>lant<nnr or nviter-- O'l suit''b!c bottom in Cook Sti-it. To find til? nleees suitable for pla'-tinir i 1 rill be neces-arv to test the Ivttom. This nviv he done also in !>arrs of rmenr.x c trait, where oyslers do not exist, now." Stoto Trawlers. Mr. Avson wis asked for his opinion, on Slal;- trf'line; ventures and Sbt" ma-keliiv Fe indi-itfd 'hat li'dh-i!' ho had -O'P in Am-l-alia had rinsrd h"n lo chare? oi"'iion evpress'-d to t'le Todu'd-rie-i Pnmmiit«» before he left. Tli« ouinioo then was tl>«t the Stn'e should ,„,(• r.„,V,n'V. on Imwlin-j should rather enenuracre, and npsist fi?li"Tmco in the iMirrlie=» or l""ils nnd mvl iii (he ereelian nf cold storage dopels. ... In 'rout an-' in <'"> ■="''••-- um n f -ive- v-ilh l"»ut, sav= |< n f \.>... 7,rMin,l i, r-.v ->, ar'"-w'e of „,. „r n,,, ,\.,=i-r-ili-,n ?'it~s. '"""- ivme-l lh"f 'l-»-p wer" •'0"'(- f.'-i" (rn'il stre-m in tw.,..;... an-1 ~-,, ni.l-.'n-r ~ 1-."M WA f- l-uvi't t-"«"- "f----fe..- as i.vlvcei s thn front «-'■••»- e,-,l the seenon- of *i|-> F.l-K H"t Mr. Hv„„l qpv.-. li.»f .n»-'"iP" i» 'i-l""" 1"!'' i" ,»,.nn n . e,n T„,„..,.,i n n - .v.<- -r the o' 1 -" ci.,i„- n f i-W r-:nr"-M.-.-'-'t'i ce.mn-ir" v -i«S v n „. 7.n-.'-.d. V- }<--■ •■ '«-'- ,„„„!, >-•».'. nf,V,.,in„:„., !■•>„ i 0 „..;..i i ; ,Pr. i-'.t.-f-n >••-.

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