H.—ls.

A comparison of the quantities taken by each method with those for the year 1937-38 shows that trawl-caught fish increased from 111,906 cwt. to 119,873 cwt. although there was a reduction of 593 in the number of trawl landings. Catches from Danish seiners increased from 116,442 cwt. to 119,933 cwt., long- and hand-line catches declined from 94,873 cwt. to 87,172 cwt., and set-net and drag-net or seine catches from 32,466 cwt. to 29,136 cwt. It will be noticed that the fish caught by lines, though 9-2 per cent, less by weight than the proportion caught by Danish-seining, is only 1 per cent, less in value. Tarakihi made up 40-2 per cent, of the trawl catch, with snapper, " mixed round fish," and soles contributing 14-2 per cent., 11 per cent., and 9-9 per cent, respectively to the total. Snapper formed the major portion of the Danish-seine catch, while snapper, flounder, and mullet were responsible for the bulk of the set- and drag-net landings. The line catch was made up principally of groper, blue cod, and snapper, the percentages being 36-8, 26-1, and 19-8 respectively. For purposes of comparison the following table is included to show the quantities taken each year by each method of fishing since 1936-37, the year when the collection of fisheries statistics was first put into operation. A noteworthy feature of this table is the fact that the total catch in 1938-39 is 7,014 cwt. (1-9 per cent.) less than in 1936-37, whereas the total value has risen from £360,466 to £424,643, an increase of £64,177, or 17-8 per cent.

Landings at Ports. Of the total quantity of wet fish taken, 42-3 per cent, was landed at Auckland (including Manukau and Coromandel). The ports showing increases over the previous year's quantities were Auckland with an increase of 10,496 cwt., or 7-5 per cent. ; Tauranga and district, 2,337 cwt., or 63-7 per cent. ; Oamaru and Moeraki, 2,300 cwt., or 74-9 per cent.; Napier and district, 2,228 cwt., or 16-4 per cent. : Dunedin and district, 1,707 cwt., or 5-9 per cent. ; Lake Ellesmere, 803 cwt., or 94-2 per cent; Whangaroa, 665 cwt., or 137-7 per cent. ; and Kaipara, 600 cwt., or 22-7 per cent. Decreases occurred at twenty-three ports, the principal being Wellington and district by 5,065 cwt., or 10-7 per cent.; Stewart Island, 3,548 cwt., or 35-9 per cent. ; Timaru, 1,697 cwt., or 10'8 per cent. ; Bluff, &c., 1,569 cwt., or 33-6 per cent. ; Thames, 1,493 cwt., or 8 per cent.; Akaroa, 922 cwt., or 22-7 per cent. ; French Pass, 888 cwt., or 25-1 per cent.; New Plymouth, 660 cwt., or 45-2 per cent. ; Picton and Havelock, 487 cwt., or 12-3 per cent. ; and Blenheim, 460 cwt., or 30-2 per cent. The three Auckland steam trawlers each operated during the year, one whole-time and the other two part-time. The number of landings from these vessels totalled eighty-five, an increase of seventeen on the previous year's total. Trawl-caught fish represented 27-4- per cent, of the total wet fish landed, Danish-seined fish 69-9 per cent., line fish 1-7 per cent., and net fish 1-0 per cent, of the total. The catch from Manukau Harbour was 1,835 cwt., the principal kinds of fish caught being mullet, flounder, pioke, and snapper in order of abundance. A drop of 8 per cent, is recorded in the total quantity of fish landed at Thames. Fishing on the whole has been good, the catches of flat fish having increased by 1,205 cwt., and this is reflected in a slightly higher total value for fish caught than last year. The snapper catch declined by 17 per cent. The considerable increase in the quantity of fish landed at Tauranga is largely due to the operations of a new Danish-seiner from that port. While the percentage of Danish-seine-caught fish has risen from 31-9 per cent, of the total catch to 57-1 per cent, and line-caught fish has fallen from 66-3 per cent, to 32-9 per cent., it is significant to note that the actual line catch, when compared with the 1937-38 figures, shows a decline of 15 per cent. Much the same quantity of fish was landed at Gisborne as in the previous year, the decrease being only 1-1 per cent., or 67 cwt. The groper catch showed a decline of 33-5 per cent, and snapper 62-9 per cent., whilst fish designated as " mixed round fish " and containing, no doubt, a certain quantity of groper and snapper, recorded an increase of 5'9 per cent.

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Methods of Fishing. 1936-37. 1937-38. 1938-39. Quantity. Cwt. Per Cent. I Cwt. Per Cent. Cwt. Per Cent. Trawl .. .. .. .. 127,711 35-2 111,906 31-5 119,875 33-7 Danish seine .. .. .. 114,909 31-6 116,442 32-7 119,933 33-7 Long- and hand-lines .. .. 94,478 26-0 94,873 26-7 87,170 24-5 Set-nets and drag-nets or seines .. 26,030 7-2 32,466 9-1 29,136 8-1 Totals .. .. ..363,128 .. 355,687 .. 356,114 Value. £ Per Cent. £ Per Cent. £ Per Cent. Trawl .. .. .. .. 120,422 33-4 126,891 30-7 136,653 32-2 Danish seine ,. .. .. 96,255 26-7 119,649 28-9 124,545 29-3 Long- and hand-lines .. .. "108,665 30-1 121,702 29-4 120,115 28'3 Set-nets and drag-nets or seines .. 35,124 9-7 45,274 11 -0 43,330 10-2 Totals .. .. .. 360,466 .. 413,516 .. 424,643