Some Fish Stories From

Experts

EXPERTS concerned with the global pattern of food for the earth’s teeming millions are looking more and more towards the comparatively untapped wealth of the oceans, and Japan stands out as the nation that is most pro gressive and determined in explor ing and exploiting the vast oceanic food resources—especially of the Pacific Ocean.

As evidence of this the Tokio Uni versity of Fisheries has a staff of 28 professors, some 70 technical officers, and owns three research ships, the largest Umitaka Maru, a diesel-powered steel vessel of 1,387 gross tonnage.

A visit to the above University was made by the delegates from the 16 countries who attended the Indo Pacific Fisheries Council, held in Tokio last September-October.

This sixth session of the IPFC was covered by the versatile Mr.

Van Pel, Fisheries Officer to the South Pacific Commission, and he reports upon it, and also upon latest developments in fish-farming, in the January issue of the SPC Bulletin.

Another fish story in the same publication, contributed by M.

Boeseman, covers the fresh-water fisheries potential in Netherlands New Guinea.

If Count F. T. Goedicke van Asten, who was a resident of Tonga for very many years, and who went to live in New Zealand after World War 11. is suffering from minor ailments, and now is a resident of a private nursing home in Auckland. His eyesight is practi cally gone but, despite his great age (about 95), his memory is clear

and lively. He was a member of ' an aristocratic family in Germany— he is related to the former kings of Bavaria, and in his childhood was i an associate of the late Kaiser Wilhelm ll—and he first came to< the Pacific when the Germans* entered New Guinea, about 75 years* ago. He acquired British after World War I.