H.—ls

16

cwt.; value (including twenty-five sacks of crayfish), £3,636. The principal fish marketed were snapper, hapuku, kahawai, herring, flounder, sole, crayfish, and whitebait. There are two whitebait-canneries at this port. Greymouth. —The number of fishing-boats licensed was 12 and 2 motor-launch trawlers. There were only 2 men employed permanently in fishing and 20 casual fishermen, and 6 men employed at the whitebait-cannery. The most of the fish sold in Greymouth is brought in by the Westport trawler; her catches arc not included in the return of fish supplied. The quantity of fish, caught locally is given as 124 cwt., valued at £241. There is one whitebait-cannery at Greymouth. Ilok'iUka. —Whitebait is the principal fish caught; flounder, herring, snapper, and kahawai are taken in limited quantities. Three boats were engaged in fishing, employing 4 men, and during the whitebait season about 100 men were engaged catching by means of set-nets. No boats are required for taking whitebait in this way. There are two canning-factories, employing 8 men in the season. The quantity of all kinds of fish taken was 895|cwt., valued at £4,185. Kaikoura. —Trumpeter, groper, kingfish, ling, butterfish, and blue cod are the principal kinds caught on the local grounds. The number of launches licensed and engaged in fishing during the year was 23, employing 48 men, 4 others being employed ashore in connection with the fish-freezer. The weight of fish caught was about 7,232 cwt., representing a value of £14,000. Two oil-launches were engaged in whaling. Eleven humpback whales were taken during the season, and yielded about 40 tons of oil, valued at £1,120. Rangiora. —The catch of whitebait for the year shows an advance on the previous season. The quantity of all kinds of fish taken was about cwt., valued at £1,093. Kaiapoi. —The fishing season was an average one. There arc only 3 men permanently fishing; all the others are whitebait-fishers and only work in the season when these fish are running. Twenty-four boats were licensed, and 24 men employed in fishing. The quantity of fish taken, mostly whitebait, was 340 cwt., valued at £2,000. Southbridge. —Flounder are the principal fish taken in Lake Ellesmcre. The fishermen, and wholesale merchant in Christchurch who receives all the fish, report that it has been the best year for flounder in twenty years. The fish commenced running early in the summer and continued well on in April. During that time good catches were made. Twenty-four boats were licensed, employing 30 fishermen, while 10 men were employed in other ways in connection with the fishing. The total quantity of flounder taken for the season from October to 31st March is given as 4,159 cwt., valued at about £5,823. Lyttelton and Summer. —During the year 5 motor-launches and 1 steam trawler, employing 14 men, and 11 small boats, employing 11 men, were engaged in fishing, and 4 others were employed in various ways connected with the industry. The total quantity of fish caught was 9,500 cwt., valued at about £13,300. Akaroa. —The Inspector strongly recommends the erection of a fish-freezer and better transport facilities to the Christchurch market, as this would no doubt lead to an increase in the number of fishermen and would allow them to work- full time, which would not only increase their earnings but also increase the quantity of fish sent to market. The number of fishing-boats licensed was 13, employing 26 men. The total quantity of fish oaught was 3,900 cwt.; value, including 400 bags of crayfish, £5,380. Christchurch. —The fishing registers show that 113 boats were licensed during the year in the Christchurch district. The following is a list of the boats registered and men employed fishing: Lyttelton and Sumner, II boats and 6 trawlers, employing 25 men; Akaroa, 13 boats, employing' 26 men; Kaikoura, 23 boats, employing 48 men; Southbridge, 24 boats, employing 30 men; Kaiapoi and Styx, 24 boats, employing 24 men; Rangiora, 18 boats, employing 22 men. Timaru. —The return given shows a considerable decline in the quantity and value of fish for the year, and report states that fish were not so plentiful on the usual grounds as during the previous year, and on that account several boats have ceased fishing. The number of boats licensed was 17; of that number 3 are steam trawlers. The number of men engaged in fishing is 32, and 5 others are employed in other ways. The quantity of fish caught is given at 3,000 cwt., valued at £6,100. Oamaru. —The report received states that compared with last year there has been an increase this year in the quantity of all fish, with the exception of warehou and barracouta. The industry is handicapped by the high cost of benzine and gear, together with the slow and costly transport to the chief market, Christchurch. There are 9 boats fishing, employing 13 fishermen. The following is the quantity of all kinds of fish brought in—viz., 3,274 cwt., valued at £2,882. Uoeraki.— The Moeraki fleet consists of 25 boats, employing 34 men. The total quantity of fish brought in during the year was 3,095 cwt., and 248 sacks of crayfish, valued at £3,592. Otago District.— The Inspector reports that for about the first eight months of the year unsettled weather hindered the operations of the line fishermen and trawlers, and in consequence there was frequently a serious shortage of fish in the Dunedin market, and prices at times were exceptionally high.' Towards the latter part of the year weather conditions improved and fish were plentiful On several occasions the Dunedin market was unable to cope with the supply. With cool-storage facilities fishermen could fish full time in good weather and hold over any surplus which the Dunedin market could not take for times of scarcity—that is, when bad weather prevented them going out. Flounder were fairly plentiful through the season, and the seme men have had a fairly good year. There are 74 boats engaged in line and net fishing, and 2 steam trawlers and 7 oil-engined launches engaged in trawling. There are 149 men engaged in fishing and 130 otherwise employed in connection with the industry. Ihe total weight ot fish brought in during the year is estimated at 40,980_cwt., valued at £49,176. There are one fish-canning factory and eleven curing-sheds in the district.