OUR FISHING GROUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 284, 4 May 1914, Page 2

OUR FISHING GROUNDS.

PROFESSOR PRINCE'S INSPECTION.! Wellington, Saturday. The Government steamer liinumoa, which has lately been employed in a ; survey of the coastal fishing grounds of ' the South Island, carried out under the superintendence of Professor E. Prince, (Canadian Commissioner of Fisheries), has returned to Wellington. Professor Prince, on being interviewed, said that the trip had been made under very favorabe conditions, the weather experienced being simply perfect. Between thirty and forty experimental tests were made from Pegasus Bay round to Stewart Island, and round the West Coast Sounds of Otago. Difficulties were experienced in one or two instances owing to the fact that new ground was being worked. On these oc- > casions the trawl suffered damage, but Professor Prince added that it was expeditiously repaired by a most .experienced veteran, Captain Neilson, of Napier. He stated also that Mr AysOn's. knowledge of the fishing grounds was a great assistance to him, and that Cap tain Bollons had a wonderfully complete knowledge of the details of the coast. Conditions were thus favorable for a thorough examination. Professor Prince declares himself very favorably impressed with what he has seen. When he arrived here, he remarked, lie was of opinion from what he had read and heard of the New Zealand fishcry resources, that they were very promising, and now that he had completed one half of his survey of the sea coasts he was satisfied, that his expectations were going to be realised. ; Oysters, Professor Prince stated, were found very widely distributed. The Foveaux Strait beds were thoroughly tested, and so also were other areas, •both on the eastern and western shores. Some of these bedß had not yet been worked. There was need for a complete and detailed survey and he would have some inportant recommendations to n»kc on 1 the subject. The oysUr markets of the world were really illimitable, Professor Prince went on to remark. It was quite a common thing to ship oysters from tie Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast, both in Canada and the United States. Oysters transported from the Eastern Coast to Californiahad to pass through some very hot areas in the Middle States, and he saw nothing to prevent their being transported in a healthy condition over a much longer distance without resort to freezing. An experimental shipment of oysters had been sent from Japan to Canada, and it should be no more difficn't to ship New Zealand oysters to North America or t to Europe, if necessary. In Canada oysters were kept in good condition for several months, simply by securing cool conditions and avoiding "tem perature extremes. Professor Prince will remain in Wellington for a few days and early next week will set out again in the Hinemoa to inspect the coastal waters of the fresh water'fisheries of the Dominion. North Island. Later he will inspect the