THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, December 15, 1853. THE NEW ZEALAND FISHERIES.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 130, 15 December 1853, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, December 15, 1853. THE NEW ZEALAND FISHERIES.

We have only at present to offer a few concluding remarks upon another and not the least important fish (if properly attended to) of our New Zealand waters,—we mean the oyster. Those, around Auckland anil the adjoining roasts, aroexrusively rock oysters; | delicious in flavour it is trua, but small and | troublesome to set Tree of the shell. At l'ort | Nicholson, large and well flavoured oysters ; are to lie found; and. there, some little alien, lion has heen bestowed to propagate and iiu- i prove iheir condition by transplanting them lo suitable beds. ' In England, France, America, and other countries infinite pains, are taken lo improve the character and keep up the supply of a lisli, which in all ages, has been accounted nueofihe most choice ofhumanlnxries. In England vessels are employed in the periodical removal of the oyster from one part of the ocean lo another. OIT the. coasts of the island'of Jersey,oysters areTound in greainhvoidance. From Jersey they arc carried lo various parts of the neighbouring mainland of Lowland where iliey are deposited in beds whicbare carefully preserved, and where they both fallen and improve in flavour, lty such transplantation the oysters of New Zealand would no doubt, equally profit; and besides the constant supplying of llic Auckland market with n delicious article of food, always eagerly desired and greatly in demand, another important link would bo added lo th fi profitable fisheries of the country, and a commensurate impetus afforded lo its maritime affairs by the enhanced demand that would he created for boats, mariners, and all the oiher refjiiisile.s of ocean traffic. Wc have culled a few facts respecting the oyster trade of Europe and America to demonstrate lo our readers the advantageous account to which it ii.ay lie tr.rr.ed lyre.

The oyster lias been highly prized by epicures in all ages ; and it has frequently been purchased at an extravagant cost. The prima" pal breeding tiine(ii) Europe)ofthe oyster is in j April or .May wlicu their spawn is usually cast : this appears at first like spots of grease which fasten upon rocks, or other hard substances that happen to be near. Very commonly (hoy adhere to adult shells and thus is formed the large masses called oyster banks. In about a yearanda half the young oysters have attained a profitable si/c, and arc then dredged up and convoyed to market direct, or are transferred to beds or artificial pits within the reach oflhe tide, where they arc fattened to the desired size. The Hritish trade in oysters is of very considerable importance, and ranks m-xt to Iliat in salmon anil herrings. Ilesidcs the large supply obtained on the English coast, upwards of 300,1)00 bushels an; imported annually from Jersey where l.'iOO men 1000 women and children and 230 boats are engaged in the fishery. l'rom spawn time till the end of July the oysters are said to be sic/, or out of season, and their capture, or the re-; nioval of anything to which they adhere, is. then prohibited by law. On the Itli of Auguwt the season conunences, and lliesupply continues, till the 12th of May following. In l.oiidon, during the proper seasons, the trade iu oysters is very considerable, both for exportation into the country, and consumption iu the metropolis. The dealers bestow great pains in preserving and feeding the oysters in tubs containing an infusion of salt water and a little oatmeal. The powers of multiplication which oysters possess are so wonderful, that the banks or beds which they form occupy portions o the sea, in shallow parts, extending for miles —and in some places (particularly along the alluvial shores of Georgia iu North America) walls of living oysters literally counteract the Klherwi.se resistless force oflhe tide. We are continually hearing of the golden treasures ofAustralia: And, during the last twelve or eighteen months, wo have proved that the induslry of lhe inhabitants and the fertility of the soil of New Zealand can largely and easily be made productive of gold- We are yet but young iu the race for wealth. When we are a little older and more experienced, we shall profit by the numerous and exhaustless sources of wealth that providence has placed within our reach. Our seas teem with treasure as readily convertible as that of our soil. As yet they lie unworked; but the day is not far distant when the fisheries of New Zealand will be made to contribute largely and healthfully to her domestic sustenance ; as well as to confer riches and influence upon her trade and shipping.