MULLET’S LIFE STORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 June 1938, Page 9

MULLET’S LIFE STORY

INVESTIGATIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES A TASK OF MANY YEARS Officials of the Fisheries Research Department, Sydney, are investigating the “life-story” of mullet in waters off the New South Wales coast and expect the process to develop into a “very long job.” About 700 fish have so far been numerically labelled with discs attached to the gill covering, and fisherman have been asked to report the capture of any of these marked fish. So far, only one has found its way into a fisherman’s basket. The fish were netted, marked, and released in Port Hacking, about 20 miles south of Sydney, where a fisheries research station is situated.

The object of studying the migratory habits of the mullet is to ascertain the age and growth-rate of the fish population so as to ensure the proper management of the stocks with a view to their conservation and possible increase. When a fish is “labelled,” a record is made of its length, weight and the place and date of release. If it is caught, several months later in a distant spot, it is again weighed and measured so that comparisons can be drawn.

Fishery experts regard it as a matter of importance that the spawning seasons and areas should be discovered so that catches can be properly regulated, and, if necessary, restricted. This has been done abroad with herrings, salmon, and halibut, and fishing interests have benefited from the work.