Trout Ova Plan Delayed By Year

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 14

Trout Ova Plan Delayed By Year

A programme to introduce 50,000 eyed ova brown trout from England has. been postponed for one year by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society.

The chairman of the fish , committee (Mr G. Ferris) I told the society meeting last! night that a flash flood had' swept away most of the ova which had been housed in a river in England. He said the programme would be carried out. next year exactly 100 years after the first brown trout had been introduced into New Zealand inland waters from England. Mr Ferris said there had been a “fantastic” number of fingerlings and yearling fish salvaged from the Selwyn and Hororata rivers this season. Nearly 250,000 fingerlings and 3800 yearlings had been distributed into rivers and lakes in accordance with stocking policy. More Than 300,000 He estimated that by the end of the summer the number of fingerlings and yearlings moved would be well over 300,000. Normally the

<number was about 125,000. | The meeting agreed that a (load of salvaged fish be 11 placed in the Rakaia lagoon i. to provide more fish in an 11 area where a lot of people went fishing. The society will also con- ■ sider buying an electric fish- ' ing machine to be used for 1 the salvage of fish. ' The chairman of the game committee (Mr G. Mugford) I said that of the 80 young ' pheasants hatched this year 25 would be released at 1 Stoney Bay next month to . reinforce earlier liberations. He said that barring a i major disaster, it should be , possible to release well over [ 2000 partridges this year. The ‘ first 100 birds were now ready for release. Hatchings of cygnets in the Birdlings Flat area were now 1 completed. There had been • no new nests constructed for some time and any eggs not hatched by February 9 would be destroyed.