Differing Views On Lake Ellesmere

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30900, 5 November 1965, Page 1

Differing Views On Lake Ellesmere

A party from the Canterbury Progress League went to Lake Ellesmere yesterday to look into the problems of lakeside farmers, commercial fishermen and sportsmen. It heard at least three different opinions on what should be done with the lake.

The Lake Settlers Association wants the lake to be controlled at a stable level of 2ft above mean sea level, the Commercial Fishermen’s Association wants a permanent structure built to allow regular access to and from the sea for flounders, and the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society seems to want the lake left as it is.

Mr P. C. Kimber, president of the Lake Ellesmere Commercial Fishermen’s Association, said the lake could produce as much flounder as all of the rest of New Zealand put together if the spawning flounder had good access to the sea, and the small flounder were able to get back in. It was important to have an outlet for 12 months a year. Spawn was wasted in the lake when the flounder were shut in. They had to spawn in deep water where there was pressure. “We want that lake open and kept open,” said Mr Kimber. “It is now totally unsuitable for flounder fishermen.” He said a big overseas order for eels had been cancelled because the first shipment was a bit muddy. If the sea was able to get in, they would be clean. “We’ve got the men, and we’ve got the gear, but as it is at present the fishermen have to take other employ-

ment or work a bit of land to keep going,” Mr Kimber said. Mr Kimber said the opening site should be at its earlier position near the Maori church where there was deep water and the tide would help to open the bar. At its present site, the tide filled the lake with shingle. Asked if fishermen would help to pay for a permanent opening, Mr Kimber said he had already proposed to the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) that a levy be imposed on the fishermen for the purpose at the time they were issued with their licences. Mr 0. J. Osborne of the Lake Settlers Association, told the party that fanners around the lake wanted better drainage so they could produce more from their land. He believed that engineers could achieve a lower lake level, and that the cost would be offset by increased farm production. Mr Osborne said the North Canterbury Catchment Board had done a good job of drainage around the lake and had reduced the time required for opening the lake to the sea. If the lake was maintained at 2ft above sea level farmers would be able to fann to a given line right around the lake. Because the lake was shaped like a soup plate with a broad lip, a small rise in the water level covered a large area of land. LAKE LEVELS When the lake was at 9ft above sea level, its area was 71,050 acres. At 3.7 ft it was 52,000 acres, at 2ft it was 43,333 acres, and at Ift it was 39,000 acres. Mr Osborne said the Ministry of Works was investigating the use of jetting to open the lake, but the settlers were a bit apprehensive about that. He said increased produc-

tion from farming and commercial fishing must come before the interests of sportsmen, and the 8877 acres difference in area between the 3.7 ft and 2ft levels was all the sportsmen would lose. It was down to that level in the summer anyway. A stable lake would provide better breeding conditions for wildlife, he said. He did not think the salinity would increase at 2ft above sea level. If the lake was stabilised at 2ft, anglers would be able to study the habits of trout and understand them better, because of the constant shoreline. A stable lake would also benefit shooters, flounder fishermen and farmers. Mr Osborne said he was not suggesting a permanent outlet, but a means of maintaining the level at 2ft. How that could be done was an engineers’ problem. FEED FOR DUCKS Mr G. Mugford, chairman of the game committee of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, told the group that the fluctuations in lake level produced feed for the ducks, and there would not be so much if the lake level was stabilised. He said his society’s views differed from those of the farmers, the North Canterbury Catchment Board, and the commercial fishermen. He said there was never so much shooting available when the lake was out as when it was high. He urged the other organisations to remember that a playground should be left for the citizens of the future. DRAINAGE AREA The party also inspected the Department of Agriculture’s experimental and drainage area at Greenpark, where land has been drained and the salinity reduced by irrigation with fresh water. It then visited the site of the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s scheme at Osborne Drain, Greenpark, for draining and developing 4000 acres of rush country. They were told the scheme would increase the carrying capacity of the land for the present 1-3 of a sheep to the acre to at least 4 sheep to the acre.