5

H.—ls

At Auckland schnapper, which is the principal fish caught, has been plentiful and there has been a good supply of flounders at the Thames. During the summer the fishermen on several occasions caught more flounders than there was a demand for, and had to give them away to the Maoris. Mullet, which is one of the principal fish in the district, has been scarce, and the Inspector is strongly of opinion that there should be a close season for this fish. There are five fish-curing establishments in Auckland, two at the Thames, one at Coromandel, and one at Kawau Island. The principal fish caught in Manukau Harbour are mullet, schnapper, and flounders. Most of the fish taken in Hawke's Bay are caught by trawlers, trawling being at present carried out in from 7 to 30 fathoms of water, there being ten steam and one oil-engine trawlers employed. Besides these, fifteen rowing-boats are engaged in fishing. The principal fish are flounders and gurnet, but besides these a large number of schnapper, moki, teralrihi, and butterfish are caught. There are five smokehouses in the district. The principal fish caught in Cook Strait and other Wellington fishing-grounds during the year have been warehou, schnapper, hapuka, blue-cod, and flounders. There has been a scarcity of fish in Canterbury during the year, especially at Sumner, New Brighton, and Kaiapoi, and most of the fish sold by auction in Christchurch came from outside the district. There are three smokehouses in Christchurch and two in Lyttelton, but they were not all being used. In the Otago District the principal centres of fishing are Catlin's, Molyneux, Taieri Mouth, Port Chalmers, Waikouaiti, Moeraki, and Oamaru, and the principal fish taken are flounders, hapuka, bluecod, and trevalli; and it is stated that notwithstanding the unseasonable weather experienced much larger catches were taken than during the previous year. There has been a considerable improvement in the boats and gear used in the industry. There are thirty-nine smokehouses in the district, which have all been inspected during the year and found to be clean and sanitary in every respect. Besides these there is in Dunedin a fish potting and preserving works. The Inspector states that there are 827 persons employed in connection with the industry in the district, 359 being in fishing-boats, 111 in curing and preserving works, 285 in fish restaurants and retail shops, and 72 as fish-hawkers. The principal fish caught by the Bluff fishermen are blue cod in Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island, and flounders in Bluff Harbour, and large quantities of oysters are taken from the beds in the Strait. There are five freezing-plants on the mainland and at Stewart Island. Trawling for fish has been prohibited within a certain distance from the land between the mouth i if the Waimakariri River and Okain's Bay. During the year three persons have been fined for breaches of the regulations as to the registration and marking of fishing-boats and five for illegally taking trout when fishing for sea-fish and not returning them at once into the water. Mr. C. C. Courtenay, Customs Officer, and nine members of the Police Force have been appointed Inspectors of Fisheries. Seals. —The close season for seals has been extended up to the 30th June next, and it is proposed to further extend it. Two men have been fined £5 each for killing a seal at Waikouaiti. Salmon and Whitefish. —Another shipment of 500,000 quinnat-salmon-ova and two million white-fish-ova has been procured from the United States. Mr. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, went to San Francisco and brought the ova to the colony, and they arrived in first-class condition. 244,833 of the salmon-ova were hatched out at the Hakataramea Hatchery and 245,000 at Lake Ohau, the fry from the latter being liberated when they had absorbed the yolk-sac. The loss on the voyage and after arrival in the colony was thus only 10,167 ova. Half the whitefish were taken to Lake Kanieri and half to Lake Tekapo. A fish believed to be a salmon having been caught in the Waitaki River was sent to this Department, which submitted it to Sir James Hector, a copy of whose report thereon is appended hereto. It will be seen that Sir James Hector reports that the fish was without a doubt a young specimen of the genus Oncorhyncus, which represents the genus Salmo on the North Pacific coast of North America and Eastern Siberia, and of which genus some of the specimens are popularly known in the market as Californian salmon, and that it is probably a quinnat, which is the kind of salmon introduced into the colony from the United States and which has been liberated from the Hakataramea Hatchery into the Waitaki River. Other fish believed to be salmon having been caught in the Hakataramea River, specimens were submitted to Sir James Hector, whose reports thereon are also appended. Reports which have been received from the Chief Inspector of Fisheries, the Manager of the Hakataramea Salmon Station, the Secretary of the Waitaki and Waimate Acclimatisation Society, and the Collector of Customs at Oamaru with regard to other fish which have been caught and which are believed to be salmon are also appended. During the year the following salmon have been liberated from the ponds at Hakataramea —viz., 73 five-year-old, 12,587 two-year-old, and 53,378 one-year-old quinnat, 34 four-year-old sockeye, and 55 three-year-old Atlantic. In addition to these 245,000 fry from this year's importation of ova have been liberated at Lake Ohau, making the number liberated during the year 311,147. At the end of the year the following fish were in the ponds—viz., 18 four-year-old sockeye, 131 three-year-old Atlantic, and 269 two-year-old, 21,737 one-year-old, and 244,833 fry from this year's importation of ova. A site for rainbow-trout eyeing-station has been procured at Rotorua. It is now being fenced in and the necessary eyeing-shed, &c, are being erected. A quantity of ova will be collected and eyed at the station during the coming season. Portobdlo Marine Hatchery. —A good deal of experimental work has been done by the Hatchery Board, and a large number of flounder-fry has been hatched and the fry liberated. Arrangements have been made for a shipment of live lobsters from the United Kingdom, and the Hatchery Board proposes to attempt to introduce crabs. The Board having proposed that inquiry should be made as to the feasibility of introducing turbot, herring, cod, or haddock from the United Kingdom, the High