EELS FOR EXPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1929, Page 3

EELS FOR EXPORT

SOME ASTONDING FACTS, POSSIBILITY OF AN INDUSTRY. Will an export trade in eels ever become one of the important industries of the Dominion? was the question asked by a delegate at the conference of tisli culturists, held last week at Wellington : There was no restriction upon the taking of eels in this country, saicl Mr A. E. Hcfford (Chief Inspector of Fisheries), except possibly, in places where it formed the principal food supply of tlie Maori population. In these instances eel-fishing on a. large scaie would lie contrary to the provisions of tho Treaty of Waitangi. An extraordinary description of “runs” of eels in the Wairarapa was given by Mr J. G. Miller, of the Wellington Acclimatisation District. Three times he had seen them making their yearly migration seaward, and on one occasion had caught 15C0. First in the “run” came the “ban,” a small eel which was a great favourite with the Maoris. Five went to the pound, and they were always the same length. Should the lower reaches of the lake he stocked at migration time, advantage was taken of a westerly wind to build a trench by night, so that the water passed along it, and then disappeared into the sand. Along this trough would he left a “slithering mass of eels.” This run, said Mr Miller, started in April, and their white flesh made very good eating. At one time there had been a canning factory in the locality, and these were the species of fish which had been utilised. There was another variety of eel, smaller, and bronze-backed, which followed in another “run.” This was not eaten bv the natives.

Altogether, the Maoris reckoned that there were, seven “runs” in a season. The largest type of all, ranging from uhout 2511). to 4011). did not come until about the middle of May. He thought that it would he a great thin,g for the country if a canning industry could be put on a solid footing.

Why these small cels went to sea at all, said Mr Ref Ford, was an interesting question. He was inclined to believe that it was a spawning migration, as he was pretty certain that small eels did not grow "to’ much of a. size, and were the males, the larger ones being the females. When the Maoris spoke of the seven “runs” by different names they did not distinguish biologically between species. It was quite likely that the second “run’' which followed the “ban” wore of a different genus.

It had been shown by a Danish scientist that there were two distinct varieties of eels in New Zealand. One, the short-finned species, was found in the North island, while the long-finned were found in the South, and in fCanterbury there was an intermingling of the two. There was no doubt of the economic importance of an eel industry.

Mr J. S. Main (Canterbury delegate) recounted' an interesting experience which had befallen him in 1913. He was standing on the river-bank on a very hot clay when tho boulders were almost “sizzling with the heat.” Suddenly a black .shadow darkened the water’s edge, and moved slowly up the panic. He was astonished to discover on closer examination that this was caused by thousands upon thousands of eels which were literally pushed up over the hot stones by weight of numbers behind until the slopes of the river-bank turned them back, and the steepness drove them towards the water again. At first lie thought the cause was a migration, but on examination lie discovered the existence of tiny parasites inside the eels, ancj lie though these had something to do w’ijtli the unusual exodus from the water. As far as the taking of eels during a run was concerned, he saw two Maoris take 2* tons at a time. Before the war a German bad sent over 100 ibaiTols of\ dry-salted eels home to Germany, hut lie had disappeared beiv/ie die outbreak of the war.

In Germany, stated Mr Hcfford, cels were highly thought of as food, and there was a market in this direction which could well he developed. Something in connection with eel export had already been done in Southland, said Mr E. Evans, delegate for that district, and some tons of the fish had been sent Home, hi addition to possessing considerable food value, eels could he made to yield a useful leather from which slippers, etc., could he made upw— -iii——