H.—ls

Landings at Ports. Of the total quantity of wet fish taken, 40-8 per cent, was landed at Auckland (excluding Manukau and Coromandel). The most important increases occurred at Stewart Island, 3,512 cwt-., or 55-5 per cent. ; Thames, 2,200 cwt., or 12-8 per cent. ; Waikawa, 1,556 cwt., or 70-2 per cent. ; Bluff, 1,335 cwt., or 97-6 per cent. ; Timaru, 1,007 cwt,., or 7-2 per cent. ; Lake Ellesmere, 746 cwt., or 45-1 per cent. ; and Nelson, 703 cwt., or 22-1 per cent. The principal decreases were Port Chalmers, 11,377 cwt., or 49-7 per cent. ; Auckland, 10,413 cwt., or 7-0 per cent. ; Napier and district, 1,947 cwt., or 12-3 per cent. ; Eiverton, 1,146 cwt., or 69-0 per cent. ; Moeraki, 967 cwt., or 33-5 per cent. ; Oamaru, 890 cwt., or 35-.1 per cent. ; Tauranga and district, 769 cwt., or 12-8 per cent.; and Nuggets, 728 cwt., or 25-8 per cent. Auckland.—The three steam-trawlers operated during the first six months of the year, making 44 landings in comparison with the 85 landings made during 1938-39. The trawler voyages were divided between the Hauraki Gulf grounds, Bay of Plenty, and East Coast (East Cape to Gisborne) in the proportion of about 7 landings from the East Coast to every 2 from the Bay of Plenty and 1 from the Hauraki Gulf. Of the total landings at Auckland, trawl-caught fish represented 13-8 per cent., Danish-seined fish 82-4 per cent., while line-fishing vessels and net-fishing vessels landed 2-7 per cent, and 1-1 per cent, of the total respectively. Comparative figures for the total landings (including those from Manukau and Coromandel) and for the three categories, snapper, tarakihi, and flounder for the last six years are given below : —

The flounder total, with which is included the category returned as " mixed flat fish," exceeds the previous year's total by 22-5 per cent, and that of 1935-36, which was the best year since the 1932-33 total of 10,452 cwt., by 14-8 per cent. Of the flounder catch, 88*1 per cent, was landed from the Danish-seiners. The tarakihi catch is the lowest since 1935-36. Of the 20,981 cwt. landed, 12,652 cwt., or 60-3 per cent., was taken by the steam-trawlers during the six months they were in operation. Thames. —The returns for this port indicate an increase of 12-8 per cent. The total quantity and value, and the landings for the two principal kinds of marketable fish during the last six years, are shown in the following table:—

An improvement in the snapper landings, a falling of! in the flounder catch, and the recording of the highest value for the total catch since the year 1930-31 are the main features of the year at Thames. Tauranga.—Compared with J 938-39, the Tauranga catch shows a decline of 769 cwt. The percentage of Danish-seine-caught fish has risen from 57-1 per cent, of the total catch to 65-1 per cent., and line-caught fish has fallen from 32-9 per cent, to 25-4 per cent. The steady falling off in the line landings is shown below : — Quantity Landed by Linos. Percentage of Total. Cwt. 1937-38 .. .. .. .. .. 1,944 66-3 1938-39 .. .. .. .. .. 1,977 32-9 1939-40 .. .. .. .. .. 1,331 25-4 Gisborne. —An increase of 11-1 per cent, is recorded in the Gisborne total, although the number of fishing-boat voyages was fewer than in 1938-39. Crayfish catches at Gisborne have fallen from 622 cwt. in 1937-38 and 394 cwt. in 1938-39 to 376 cwt. The effect of the Industrial Efficiency Regulations caused the crayfish market, during the latter part of the year, to depend more on the trawlers for its supply, and this explains the increase, amounting to 51-5 per cent, of the crayfish landed by the trawlers, in comparison with the previous year.

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1934-35. 1935-36. 1936-37. 1937-38. 1938-39. 1939-40. Owt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Total quantity landed .. .. 102,313 129,209 159,371 140,234 150,730 140,588 Snapper.. .. .. .. 68,432 88,374 112,656 97,296 107,252 101,006 Tarakihi .. .. .. 14,293 18,100 24,966 24,240 22,530 20,981 Flounders (including dabs) .. .. 6,550 7,560 3,743 4,968 7,082 8,680

_ . . -. Fish landed at Thames. j 1934-35. j 1935-36. j 1936-37. 1937-38. j 1938-39. 1939-40. Cwt. Cwt. Owt. Cwt. Owt. Cwt. Total wet fish .. .. .. .. 17,614 19,134 15,447 18,692 17,199J 19,399 Snapper .. .. .. 11,163 14,053 11,356 13,400 11,123 14,153 Flounder (including dabs and mixed flat fish) 4,769 3,305 3,216 3,998 5,157 4,331 ££££££ Total value .. .. .. .. 13,957 14,593 16,690 23,174 23,616 24,501