FISH AND OIL INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 313, 11 January 1908, Page 6

FISH AND OIL INDUSTRY.

I'KUSI'EOT* AT XUE KEItMAJJIiCS. Auckland, i'friday. Mr. Cay ley Alexander, who paid a visit to the KerniaUecs by the JliMjmua last week, lias given au iiUcrviejwci some interesting information regarding the prospects of the et-tablWijueiii oi a lish and oil iudtVstry at the island. His investigations ou this head were underUiki'ii ill viit reiiiiest 01 a number of Auckland resident*. " '\-> my olijeet," jiiid Mr. Alexander, " was to priucipall) ascertain particulars as io the lish ami mutton bird supply 1 made a special point of going inland, lirst lo collect data an to the mutton bird. The mutton birds exist in thousands, and were very tairje; indeed, <«ie could walk uj) to them jand lift lliein oil their nests. The lish 'eonsist principally oY kingfish, known l(H-ally a« • yellow tail,' ha|uika, rock-cod, and" the blue ti-h, moki, larakihi, an fl vast quantities of sharks aid whales. The fish exist all around the rocks, Ami frequently are there in such unaiiti ,'>«* that they actually force one another oiil of the'water. They attain a grea (. size, the kingfish frequently attaining lift, ill length, though the average s'iliftol lish is about 4ft. long. The blue /fjsh is peculiar to the Kermadecs; it is the -hapc of a bream and of a dark, blue colour, and averages Kllli. in weight. Jfj cures remarkably well, and shonild fcOch a high price amongst epicureans." At Meyer Island Mr. Alexander foiind lish and mutton birds In great qua ntities, altogether there are more of the latter at Raoul Island. Strange fjo say, there are numbers of paroquets, on Meyer Island, while there are none, at Raoul, half a mile away, and whije the mutton birds' season on Kamil is. frifin August to April, on Meyer Island '/I is from April to August, and the bi-fd is of a somewhat different type. At Mjirntilay Island there are but few mutt/in Wrds, but plenty of lish. "T am sati-itied," concluded Mr. Alexander, "that with eflicient management the isl jnds offer a most profitable field, as ih,ere are lieynnd doubt such huge quant'fties of lisii ami mutton birds as to e ause me to believe all the statements e loii-erning the capabilities of these 'Wands, -which I thought were grossly Exaggerated until I went and saw for , myself. Indeed. T fee) now that the i' be-t ncrrtnnts ever given m« of the yronp wert' considerably underestimated. r T have evorv confidence in recommendinn the Kermadecs a." a base nf operaMinns for ain Auckland fish and oil in- ' dnsfrv."