11

H.—ls

The following table gives the districts in which the new boilers have gone, the horse-power, and whether made in the Dominion or imported : —

Districts and Inspectors. Mr. Knowles, who had been stationed at Christchurch for some years, was transferred to the Wanganui district. Mr. Johnston was transferred to the Hamilton district from Wanganui. Inspector Macindoe, who since his appointment had been attached to the Wellington district, left the Department to go into business on his own account in Fiji. Mr. Macindoe proved a good and careful officer in every way, and I was sorry to lose his services. Messrs. Maxwell and Alexander were new appointments during the year. The former lias been stationed at Wellington and the latter at Christchurch. T , , ° I have, &c, RODBRT DUNCAN, Chief Inspector of Machinery, Chief Surveyor of Ships; Chief Examiner of Marine Engineers, Land Engineers, Stationaryengine Drivers, and Electric-tram Drivers. The Secretary, Marine and Inspection of Machinery Department.

The Chief Inspector of Fisheries to the Secretary, Marine Department Sir,— Wellington, 24th May, 1917. I have the honour to submit herewith the following report on the fisheries of the Dominion for the year ended the 31st March. The fisheries which I was able to visit during the year were Bay of Islands, Whangaruru, Whangarei, Kaipara, Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel Coast, Thames, Great Barrier, Wanganui, Cook Strait, Marlborough Sounds, and several places on the Canterbury, Otago, and Southland coasts, and Foveaux Strait. I inspected the oyster-beds at Bay of Islands. Whangaruru, Kaipara, Great Barrier, Hauraki Gulf, and Coromandel, and I personally supervised and assisted in planting a shipment of rockoysters in Pelorus Sound, and also inspected the toheroa beds north of Kaipara and along the coast from the New River Heads to Riverton in Southland. As we were again short of skilled assistance 1 helped with the collection of salmon-eggs last spawning season, and also with the hatching and liberation of salmon on the West Coast. I inspected some of the tributaries of the Wairau River (Marlborough) and Molyneux River, and a site for a salmon-hatchery was decided on for each of these rivers. The different fish-markets have been generally well supplied with fish throughout the year. Any scarcity which may have existed for a time was principally due to unfavourable weatherconditions. The outstanding feature in connection with the sea-fisheries during the year has been the extension of the steam-trawling industry at, Auckland. Five well-equipped vessels are now trawling from that port, and immense quantities, including a splendid variety of the best market fishes, have been brought in almost daily from the prolific trawling-grounds which exist about, two hours' steam from Auckland. With the very large quantities brought, in, and the keen competition between the Municipal Fish-market and the private firms, the price of fish has been greatly reduced, and the people of Auckland are now able to get a plentiful supply of fresh fish

i Lo, sal. Imported. Toi ial. District. Number. Horse- .. , ; Horse- ! „ . power. Number. , power _ Number. _l |_ I ' Horsepower. Auckland ... Auckland South Hawke's Bay raranaki Wellington North Wellington . . Marlborough Nelson Nelson South Westland Canterbury Canterbury South Otago Southland ... 16 23 24 34 17 24 4 4 4 3 28 3 12 18 275f 52 286*. 68 215 13 167* 36 158 15 243* ; 89 410* 12 477* ! 46 150 2 6 19 1234; 18 439 42 13* 2 10 6 94* ... ... 4. 22* 4 311 8 30 4 53* 7 140 9 329* 37 33 1 6 4 52| 5 74} 17 208* ; 2 14f 20 275f 215 158 410fV 150 123} 13* 94. 22* 30 140 33 52| 208* 52 13 15 12 2 18 2 _ 4 9 1 5 2 562} 382* 401* 888 156 562} 23* 94* 333* 83* 469* 39" 127 223J Totals ... 214 1,927} 139 2,419 353 4,346} ■