SOUTHERN LAKES FISHING

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24567, 16 May 1945, Page 5

SOUTHERN LAKES FISHING

f —' REPORTED GOVERNMENT SCHEME » “ STATEMENT PREMATURE” (P.A.) DUNEDIN, May 15. . “The statement is premature,” said the president of the Otago Acclimatisation Society (Mr A. Digby Smith), referring, to the announcement by Mr A. Kean, Conservator of Fish and Game in the Rotorua district, of the Government’s plans to take over several of- the larger lakes in Otago and Southland. “It is surprising, too, that an officer of the Department of Internal Affairs should have taken the liberty of including the names of lakes outside those already within the; boundaries of the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society, whose district was handed over to the cpntrpf a few months ago/*. ■ 0.. ; - H•• Mr Smith said that as the Otago society was concerned no agreement had been reached regarding Lake Hawea or any other portion of its district. No request had been made to the Government by either the Otago or Southland societies regarding the taking over of any portion of the respective districts. On the contrary, the Otago society had expressed its strong opposition to the department taking over any part of the. area controlled by the society. - .In response to a letter from the Minister of internal Affairs (the.Hon. W. E. Parry), asking the society to discuss the question of including Lake in the proposed southern lakes acclimatisation district,. the council of the Otago society met Mr G. F. Yerex, a representative of- the Minister, and learnt from him that the department would not be satisfied merely with taking over Lake Hawea, but would want to extend its boundaries as far south as.Cromwell. ,Mr Smith said he subsequently interviewed the Minister in Wellington, and from conversations with him and Mr Yerex learnt that they had by then decided to extend the boundaries of the area they wished to take to just above Coal Creek. This comprised 4000 square miles, or almost half of the total territory of the-Otago Acclimatisation Society. Mr-Smith added that He was informed by Mr Yerex that when inspecting the territory the Minister had been delighted to see such large numbers of ducks, and that was his reason for wishing to extend so far south the territory he desired his department to control.