SPREAD OF SALMON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 223, 21 September 1931, Page 5

SPREAD OF SALMON.

QUINNAT MOST PLENTIFUL

DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES.

STATEMENT BY MR. HEFFORD.

Atlantic salmon have been keeping very closely to the original waters in which they were planted in Southland; but the quinnat, or Pacific species, has spread rapidly to many rivers in the South Island, said Mr. A. E. Hefford, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, to-day.

Mr. Hefford stated that this year the Fisheries Department was stocking up the Waiau River, because iu the successive efforts to plant the Wanganui River eggs had been taken in considerable quantities from the Waiau.

Greater Restrictions. The Department had found it accessary to "stiffen up" the fishing restrictions in the Te Anau district, and especially in the spawning streams which ran into Lake Te Anau. Atlantic salmon was originally planted from 1909 to 1911 in the Upokororo River; .and there was a river a little to the westward in which it was reported to have been seen and caught, hut that was the only authentic information about its distribution.

Quinnat salmon had. not teen such, a difficult problem, said Mr. Hefford. They were introduced from 1901 to 1906, originally in the Wait-aki River, in South Canterbury; and two seasons ago one was caught as far north as Hawke's Bay. "They are undoubtedly to be found in great numbers in the rivera in the northern part of the East Coast of the South Island, such as the Hurunui," he added.

Question of Stocking Waikato. As to the possibility of stocking the Waikato River with salmon, Mr. Hefford said the only way to decide definitely whether the suggestion wade by acclimatisation interests was practicable was, to "try it." It was to be remembered, however, that tlie Wanganui River had failed to produce ajiy result. The Hokitika attempt was also a failure. Both of these were West Coast rivers, and the failures appeared to be due to the fact that rivers on that coast were unsuitable for either the Atlantic, or the Pacific variety of salmon. There was an ocean drift which came from the direction of the tropics; whereas, on the East Coast, the drift was from the Polar regions.