DOMINIONS FISH SUP PLIES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1927, Page 4

DOMINIONS FISH SUP PLIES.

NATURAL LIMITATIONS. AVKkiLIXGTON, Sept. 7. While it may he true, ns far as New Zealand is concerned, that there aro as good 'fish in the sea as ever came out of it, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Mr Hertford, is far from sure that there are as many fish in the waters round the New Zealand coasts as have already found their way on to plates and into frying-pans, “ft is dear,’' he said to a reporter, “that people who imagine that fish are extremely plentiful and should therefore be cheap, are not seeing things in the right light.” According to Mr Heffonl, those who havo talked of inexhaustible supplies of fish in New Zealand seas, and have explained the shortage and dearness of fish by the lack of organised meth-

ods of fisliing and marketing, are • wide of the mark, and in support of the contention That the feeding grounds on these coasts were comparatively small in extent, he gave an interesting explanation of the effeiet ‘of ocean dopths and the proximity ol land on fish supplies. DEEP WATER CLOSE TO LAND. Trawling has not yet been proved the best method for use in New Zealand waters, but it is used by many of the fishermen. Trawling is impossible lin much ovor 100 fathoms, and fishing of any kind is unrewarded in greater depths. The hundred-fathom line round New Zealand does not extend more than, a very few miles out, certainly mot out of sight of land, except in one or two places. Beyond that tho 1000-fathom line is very soon reached, so that the feeding grounds, which are restricted to. 100 fathoms or less, aro quite a narrow strip. Even tho reproductive capacity of fish is determined by the food supply necessary for the young fish to thrive, and this food supply, at any rate m ! the early stages of growth, depends

upon supplies of plankton, or micro- . scopic marine vegetable growths, ! -which in turn used a certain anioun ‘ of mineral matter for their growth. The mineral washed down froin tie ' land by rivers and by erosion of the ' coast is. therefore, necessary for a * plentiful fish supply. That is what 5 New Zealand, with a small coast-line 5 and isolated from other land, with ' deop water a. very short distance out from the coast, lacks. ’ Taking the North Sea. for instance, 1 nearly the whole of it is not deeper ’ than 100 fathoms, and much of it less, * while to the west of the British Tsles '• there is a wide stretch of water also

in the 100-fathom line. In the Old Country it is unusual to see traw.ers working within sight of the cons , while in (New Zealand it is rare for them to he out of sight of the coast. “It is quite possible,” said Air Hefford, “that people have mistaken the crowding of fish into these narrow New Zealand feeding lanes round the coast for a sign of their alnindanice, but what it really may mean is that -there are such small feeding grounds that the fish are easily found there. It is generally conceded tout hslid - men have to go further afield to-day for the supplies for the.large cities than formerly, and as they cannot g" further out to sea owing to the sudden depths, in which fish are not I found, they have 'been obliged to j spropd along the coasts in their search. ■ with the result that there have been frequent complaints 'by tho authorities . the smaller centres along the coasts k of the encroachment r.p'm them by !bhi ennon who seek to supply city mark- ■ ets.

NEED FOR CAUTION. “In the absence of records, it < nn•v.f he said whether the diminution in the supply has been gradually increasing, or whether at -times there has not been a temporary increase in llie number of fish on the coasts, out everything points tb hi.' need for caution in unnecessary depletion ol the supply, because with the increase of population there, will come n time when the natural -increase will not fill tho demand. I do not say that that time has been yet reached, hut the greatest cave to avoid waste should be exercised, and the pub.to should 1-e educated to utilise all kinds of fish, instead of demr.lining only f-r two favourite dishes. I here is need for a great deal of rcssaifch before the actual fish contents and prospective supply off the New Zealand coasts can bo determined.”