H—ls

REPORT ON FISHERIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1950 Attention is drawn to the fact that all fisheries statistical data in this report is for the calendar year ended 31st December, 1949. The estimated total quantity and value of the principal classes of fishery products marketed in the year 1949 are as follows : Quantity. Value. £ Wet fish .. .. .. .. 449,903 cwt. 864,332 Whitebait .. .. .. .. 7,899 cwt. 204,269 Oysters— Dredged .. .. .. 97,336 sacks 81,519 Rock .. .. .. .. 5,076 sacks 8,744 Mussels .. .. .. .. 14,845 sacks 4,912 Crayfish .. .. .. .. 36,771 cwt. 99,034 Whale oil .. .. .. .. 973 tons 36,000 Fish livers .. .. .. .. 783,307 Ib. 31,006 Total values .. .. .. .. £1,329,816 The detailed landings are summarized in Tables I to VI (pp. 45 to 58). The total landings of wet fish show an increase of 3,638 cwt. over the previous year's total of 446 5 365 cwt., while the total value has increased by £25,998. The quantity of oysters dredged from Foveaux Strait has increased by 2,892 sacks, and the rock oysters have decreased by 617 sacks. The crayfish total is up by 9,541 cwt., and the quantity of mussels is up by 431 sacks. In the most important group, the " wet fish " — i.e., all the ordinary fishes caught by all methods of sea fishing—the annual totals for successive years are as follows : Total Quantity. Total Value. Total Quantity. Total Value, cwt. £ cwt.. £ 1934-35 .. 331,415 294,267 1942-43 .. 311,971 442,976 1935-36 .. 363,448 313,106 1943-44 .. 294,445 489,268 1936-37 .. 363,128 360,406 1944 .. 308,237 522,954 1937-38 .. 355,687 413,516 1945 .. 331,773 558,404 1938-39 .. 356,114 424,643 1946 .. 380,321 660,096 1939-40 .. 339,231 416,480 1947 .. 438,300 802,496 1940-41 .. 328,594 440,308 1948 .. 446,265 838,334 1941-42 .. 326,863 458,393 1949 .. 449,903 864,332 The total weight of wet fish landed 449,903 cwt., although the highest recorded total represents only the small increase of 3,638 cwt. This increase is slightly less than half the increase shown last year. Compared with the great increases in the years immediately following the war, the figures for the last two years show that an increased level of production has been reached as a result of the greatly increased fishing potential to which reference was made in last year's annual report. In the course of the next year or two the effect of this increased fishing potential on the stocks of fish should become apparent. Reference to the figures above setting out the quantity and value of wet fish landed since 1935 show that the value has risen more steeply than has the quantity. In spite of this, however, a number of the medium and larger units are finding the cost of maintaining this increased fishing potential out of proportion with the increased return to-day. Unfortunately, adequate figures are not available for publication to present the picture showing the cost of the production over these years.

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