H.—ls

interest. Contact between the two Departments is maintained chiefly in the person of the Senior Fishery Officer, Mr. M. W. Young, whose work as a member of the Fishery Advisory Committee has been a major occupation during the year. More recently Mr. Young has been working on an interdepartmental committee appointed by the Minister of Supply to report and advise on the question of a fish-canning industry in the Dominion, a question in which the availability and geographical location of suitable supplies of fish and the best method of harvesting them are problems of fundamental importance. New, though somewhat tentative, developments in fish-canning have already taken place which will doubtless be reported upon by the appropriate Department. No special sea fisheries for the Bupply of material entirely for canning operations have yet been established in this country. The utilization of fish-livers for the extraction of medicinal oil has been taken up on a small scale, and it is understood that as a result of the preliminary experimental work there is a likelihood of the establishment of a definite industry. Some of our New Zealand fish, such as ling, groper, and various shark species, yield liver-oils which compare favourably or more than favourably with the now universally appreciated cod-liver oil. Problems of supplies of raw material and its processing are the difficulties which have to be overcome. The quantities and values of the principal classes of fishery products, estimated from returns received from the various ports, for the year are as follows : — Quantity. Value. Wet fish .. .. - .. .. 328,594 cwt. 440,308 Whitebait .. .. .. .. .. 3,982 cwt. 31,321 Oysters^ Dredged .. .. .. .. .. 65,993 sacks 47,846 Rock .. .. .. .. .. 5,782 sacks 7,950 Mussels .. .. .. .. .. 18,088 sacks 6,355 Crayfish .. .. .. .. .. 10,615 cwt. 14,957 Toheroa (canned products) .. .. .. 169,5761b. 10,071 Whale products^— Oil .. .. .. .. 654 tons 18,000 Bone-dust .. .. .. .. .. 30 tons 70 Quinnat salmon (taken by selling licensees) Netted fish .. .. .. .. .. 1,3431b. 1 Angled fish .. .. .. .. .. 3,7511b. / Total values.. .. .. .. .. £577,133 I(i comparison with the figures for the previous year, the total quantity of wet fish landed shows a decline of 10,637 cwt. and 3-1 per cent, in value. This falling off in the total quantity of wet fish landed is exceeded by the decline in landings at Auckland. The position caused by the loss of four steam-trawlers has been eased to a certaiji extent by increased Danish-seine catches at Auckland and considerably increased trawler landings at Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. Dredge-oyster supplies from Foveaux Strait show a decrease of 9,152 sacks, or 12-2 per cent., with a corresponding percentage decrease in value. The quantity of rock oysters taken decreased by 148 sacks (444 bushels), or 2-5 per cent. Commercial landings of mussels show an increase of 8-8 per cent, in quantity and 10-5 per cent, in value. Crayfish landings have increased in weight by 31-5 per cent, and in value by 32-1 per cent. Fishing-vessels : Landings and Methods of Capture. Particulars regarding the fishing-fleet at each port are given in Table I. The total number of fishing-vessels licensed during the official year was 822, which is 98 (13-5 per cent.) in excess of the number licensed in the previous year. The value of the fishing-fleet—that is, vessels in operation as fishing-boats^—as at 31st December, 1940, the last day of the licensing year, is estimated at £428,079, or, with the value of fishery gear added, £476,104. The number of licensed steam-vessels increased from 9 to 13, motor-Vessels from 549 to 678, while row-boats decreased from 166 to 131. An analysis according to size, classes, and manner of propulsion, of the vessels is given below. The numbers in parentheses are those for the previous year.

11

Length vessel! Row-boats. Total. Under 15 ft 22 (19) 55 ,(84) 77 (103) 15 ft. to 25 ft. .. .. .. .. 141 (136) 76 (82) 217 (218) 26 ft. to 35 ft. .. .. .. .. 277 (228) .. 277 (228) 36 ft. to 45 ft. ,, 194 (131) .. 194 (131) Over 45 ft 13 (9) 44 (35) .. 57 (44) Totals .. .. .. 13 (9) 678 (549) 131 (166) 822 (724)