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D. FISHING The following the number of persons engaged in the fishing industry from 1901 to 1936 Table No. 91.—Table showing the Number of Persons occupied in the Fishing Industry at various Censuses from 1901 to 1936 Year. Number. Year. Number. 1901 .. .. 718 1921 .. .. 992 1906 .. .. 959 1926 .. .. 1,153 1911 .. .. 925 1936 .. .. 1,488 1916 .. .. 922 The table shows that between 1906 and 1921 the number engaged in the fishing industry tended to be fairly stable. From 1921, however, to 1936 there was a steady rise. A large proportion of the fishermen are persons who own their own launches, either individually or in co-operation with others. In 1926 there were only 349 wage-earners; in 1936 there were 322 wage-earners, but 172 in addition were returned as being wholly or partly unemployed. The fishing industry, although small, is quite important, in that in the last two or three years the products have been valued at over £500,000 per annum, of which, on the average, 20 per cent, has been exported, principally to Australia. There is some evidence at the present time that there is an expansion of the fishing industry and that better techniques are being used. E. TOTAL OTHER PRIMARY INDUSTRIES In addition to mining, forestry, and fishing, there are a number of other relatively minor primary industries, and the following table gives the total of all industries classified in this report as " Other Primary," and includes mining, forestry, and fishing : Table No. 92.—Table showing the Total Number of Males employed in other Primary Industries from 1901 to 1945, together with an Index Number of the Development Year. Number in Thousands (Males). Index No. 1901 .. .. 22-7 1000 1906 .. .. 27-0 1190 1911 .. .. 26-9 1185 1916 .. .. 21-1 930 1921 .. .. 20-1 885 1926 .. .. 21-5 947 1936 .. .. ' 24-1 1062 1945 .. .. 26-0 1146 The table itself masks the various individual fluctuations which were observed when dealing with coal, forestry, fishing, and gold-mining. If gold-mining had been omitted the general tendency of the index numbers would have been a steady and consistent rise over the whole period, but the heavy fall-off in gold-mining, at least in the middle years, seriously affects the final figures, and, despite the heavy rise in later years, the situation in 1945 is only 14 per cent, better than in 1901, which is very much less than the relative growth of the population. No discussion has been given herein of the place of women in other primary industries. Their absolute number is very small and can be ignored in any population study.

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