IT. —15

The system of individual fishing-boat returns has for the first time enabled a fairly comprehensive and precise statement to be made regarding the fishing operations from the South Island fishing ports, such as is summarized below : —

For details of the fishing-vessels engaged and the total quantities and kinds of fish caught, reference may be made to Tables I, lĪ, and lla. Precise comparison with the conditions of the previous year is not possible, for reasons already mentioned. The general impression obtainable from various jeports is that the local trawling-grounds off Canterbury and Otago are not as productive as formerly. The groper fishery, though yielding good supplies to long-liners on occasions, requires more effort than formerly to produce the same results. The blue-cod season for Stewart Island was below average and was much affected by bad weather. Statistics. Reference has already been made to this subject. In previous reports I have called attention to their fundamental necessity as a basis for fishery administration. Future reports, as they approach nearer to the ideal of what fishery reports should be, will consist to an increasing degree of information based on statistical data —viz., a record of the quantities of fish of various kinds produced by certain methods of fishing expressed so as to show the relationship between the yield of the fishery and the amount and kind" of effort that has been used to produce it. This will involve a complete recasting of the form of this report such as has not been possible for this year, but which it is hoped will be possible for next year's report.

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. .. w e ' c ?lt age Principal Kinds of Ksh caught by each Method Port. ' Method of Fishmg. (by Weight) caught (in order of Quantity). by each Method. 1 v Picton .. • • Lines .. .. 93-9 Groper, blue cod, hake. Set-nets .. .. 6-1 Butterfish, moki. rapnheim .. .. Trawl .. .. 97-4 Mat fish, tarakihi, moki. Set-nets .. .. 1-4 Moki, butterfish, tarakihi. Lines .. • • 1 • 2 Groper, blue cod, snapper. Kaikoura.. •• •• Lines .. .. 95-3 Groper, ling, trumpeter. Set-nets .. .. 3-6 Butterfish. Trawl .. .. 1 ■ 1 Sole. Lyttelton . . .. •• Trawl .. .. 70-1 Tarakihi, ling, elephant-fish. Danish seine .. 19-1 Elephant-fish, gurnard, sole. Seine-net.. .. 7-8 Whiting, flounder, red cod. Lines .. .. 3-0 Red cod, ling, groper. Akaroa .. .. .. Trawl .. .. 83-3 Sole, elephant-fish, gurnard. Lines .. .. 15-9 Groper, ling. Seine-net.. .. 0-8 Flounder. Timaru .. .. •• Lines .. .. 61-8 Groper, ling. Danish seine .. 28-9 Gurnard, sole, red cod. Trawl .. .. 9-3 Flounder, red cod. Oamaru .. .. .. Lines .. .. 97-4 Groper, red cod, blue cod, ling. Set-nets.. .. 2-4 Moki, butterfish. Trawl .. .. 0-2 Sole, flounder. Moeraki .. .. •• Lines .. .. 98-3 Groper, blue cod, ling. Set-nets .. .. 1-7 Moki, butterfish. Port Chalmers . • • • Trawl .. • • 48-6 Sole, red cod. Lines .. .. 42-5 Groper, ling. Seine-nets and set- 8 • 9 Flounder, red cod. nets Taieri Mouth .. .. Trawl .. .. 76-9 Sole, flounder. * Lines .. .. 23-1 Groper, blue cod, red cod. Nuggets .. •• Trawl .. .. 78-2 Sole, flounder. Lines . . .. 21-8 Groper, barracouta. Owaka .. .. • • Lines .. .. 66-7 Groper, blue cod. Nets (seine) .. 33'3 Flounder. Waikawa .. •• Trawl .. .. 65-7 Sole, flounder. Lines .. .. 33-9 Groper, blue cod. Nets (seine) .. 0-4 Flounder. Invercargill •• •• Nets .. .. 87-9 Flounder, " herring." Lines .. .. 12-1 Blue cod. Bluff .. •• Lines .. .. 84-6 Blue cod, groper. Nets .. .. 15-4 Flounder, butterfish, moki. Stewart Island .. .. Lines .. .. 96-7 Blue cod, groper, trumpeter. Set-nets .. .. 3-3 Butterfish, moki. Riverton district .. .. Lines .. .. 98-0 Blue cod, groper. Seine-nets .. 2-0 Flounder. Greymouth . . • Trawl . . .. 86 ■ 9 Sole. Lines .. .. 11-0 Groper. Seine-nets . . 2 • 1 Mixed flat fish. Westport . .. •• Trawl .. .. 74-6 Sole, flounder. Lines .. .. 25-2 Groper. Seine-nets .. 0-2 Mixed flat fish. Motueka .. .. Lines .. .. 96-0 Snapper, blue cod, groper. Seine-nets .. 4-0 Flounder, Nelson .. •. • • Lines .. .. 67 - 4 Snapper, groper, blue cod. Danish seine .. 31*2 sole, gurnard. Seine-nets .. 1-4 Snapper, flounder.