IMPORTATION OF LOBSTERS

Evening Star, Issue 19789, 13 February 1928, Page 5

IMPORTATION OF LOBSTERS

FRESH BATCH BY MATATUA HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SHIPMENT Uy thes.s. Matana, which arrived this morning from were brought to Dunedin thirty-nine lobsters forthePortobello marine fisheries investigation station. These lobsters were received from the Plymouth biological station, England, the Matatua making a special run in to Plymouth to obtain them. As only forty-two were shipped, this constitutes a remarkably successful effort, due to the extraordinary care and attention given by the chief officer (Mr Hyde) and chief engineer (Mr Brown) of the Matatua. The curator of the investigation station (Mr Adams) and the_ assistant curator (Mr Broadley) were in attendance on the arrival of the vessel, and transferred the lobsters without delay to the ponds at Portobello, where every preparation had been made for their reception. Some interesting facts in respect to previous importations of lobsters from Britain were retailed by the Hon. G. M. Thomson this morning. In 1864 A. M. Johnston, of Okawa, shipped twentysix lobsters in London, but none survived the voyage. Twenty-one years later S. C. Farr, of Christchurch, shipped twelve, but all died. In 1891 and 1892 Mr Purvis, chief engineer of the lonic, shipped a number each voyage, but met with no success, the same result attending Mr Clifford who shipped a number for the Otago Acclimatisation Society. The first received in New Zealand were shipped by Mr Purvis in 1893. He shipped twelve, and succeeded in landing nine at Dunedin. They were placed on the mole outside the harbor, but this was a most unsuitable place, and they wpre never seen again. In 1906 the Hatchery. Board commenced operations, and shipped twenty-

five in London, under the care of Mr Naismith, engineer of the Karamea. Two were landed alive. Shipments were renewed in 1907, 1908, and 1909, under the care of the same officer, and of twenty-five shipped two lots of five and seven respectively were landed. In 1909, of thirty-three shipped, he succeeded in landing thirty-one alive at Port Chalmers. Four years later Mr Anderson, curator of the hatchery, succeeded in landing forty-one out of fortythree shipped. The Great War stopped further attempts, _ and the last of the original stock died in 1927, being at least twenty-seven years old. Since 1907 about a dozen mature lobsters have been liberated, and approximately a million and a-half larva) have been set free in the harbor.