What the Little Fish Did In

Nauru

By R. W. Robson

DURING the 30’s, before the war, a good deal was done to introduce the Gambusia to the Pacific Terri tories. I personally found them in Papua and New Guinea, where they had been released by health officials, and in Nauru.

In the case of Nauru, we had a re markable demonstration of the efficiency of the little fish. Nauru has a chain of heavily-brackish ponds, extending well towards the centre of the island, and they were a breeding ground for great swarms of mosquitoes.

When the Administration was taken over by Lieut.-Colonel Chalmers (that fine old veteran, who stayed behind to help the natives, in 1942, and was mur dered by the Japs) he set to work to clean up the ponds. He tried to oil them, but that did not work there was a marked inflow of water from somewhere.

Then he tried to open them up to the sea, so that they might become tidal; but that effort failed, also.

Then he requested a missionary who was going to the Gilberts to bring back “some of those little fish’’; and the mis sionary complied. Two or three jars of Gambusia were emptied into the ponds.

The result was like a miracle.

Less than two years afterwards, in 1941, I walked beside the ponds with Mr.

Chalmers one evening, and there was not a mosquito to be seen. But the waters of the ponds were almost stiff with Gam busia! Ido not know of which achieve ment the Administrator was prouder—

his introduction of pure-bred boars, to improve the natives’ herds of pigs, or the introduction of the Gambusia, to clean up the ponds.

Mr. M. I. Harper, formerly of the British Solomons, who has been a resident of Sydney for the past two years, will leave shortly for Rabaul, New Guinea, where he will take charge of a small coastal vessel. During the war, Mr.

Harper rendered distinguished service to the United States Navy in several areas of the Pacific ,and was decorated by both the Americans and the British.