Marine Industries Prospects In Torres Straits

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Feb. 29.

JANUARY and February are the busiest months of the year on Thursday Island. Engagement of crews, allotment to boats, victualling and overhaul of luggers are all crammed into the first few weeks of Ihe year, and everyone is busy.

As soon as the worst of the North west monsoon is seen to be over, a atart is made on actual operations. The first to leave are the trochus and beche de-mer boats, which work their way down the Barrier till a full cargo neces sitates unloading at Cairns or other Southern ports. Later, the diving boats, the aristocrats of the fleet, will spread their wings and disperse to the various pearling grounds in the Straits. They are a little later than usual how ever; pearl shell is now restricted to amounts that can easily be got in seven months, so a longer lay up than form erly is the rule.

In addition to these well-tried indus tries, we have to announce the prelim inary operations of a new one—the Murray Island Sardine Fishery. This subject is dealt with elsewhere.

Recruiting of Island boys by local pearlers is never an easy matter. This year it has been somewhat more un satisfactory than usual, owing to the Aboriginal Department’s claim to first rights in the choice of crews for co

operative boats. This may be a just claim, so long as it does not over-ride an expressed preference by individual Islanders to sign on with independent owners. Dissatisfaction on this point was noted amongst the Straits boys to a greater extent than usual; we hope it will not lead to anything approaching the dissatisfaction existing among the natives of Samoa. There are signs that on a smaller scale it may.

Prospects for the year are not un favourable. The effect of limiting pearl shell production has Steadied the mar ket, and reports from America, where Mr. Otto Gerdau is fostering the busi ness and endeavouring to find new uses for M.O.P., are encouraging. We do not hear much about the artificial pearl shell, which was being manufactured experimentally in the U.S.A. two or three years ago. Perhaps the inventors have discovered that the natural pro duct cannot be equalled (Nature some times guards her secrets closely) and if this is the case we have reason to feel relieved. Still scientists are persevering people, and cannot altogether be trusted to refrain from further trials.

Trochus and beche-de-mer prices (especially the latter) are up and down.

Until the war clouds in the Far East disperse, no reliance can be placed on the markets for these products.

Sardine-Fishing on a Torres Strait island.