Firms to release 100,000 salmon

Press, 14 September 1976, Page 3

Firms to release 100,000 salmon

|PA Ashburton One hundred thousand salmon smolts from the Rangitata and Silverstream rivers have been allocated for release in the Waitaki and Clutha rviers as pa A of a commercial harvesting study by ICI New Zealand, Ltd, and J. Wattie Canneries, Ltd. The Council of the South Island Acclimatisation Societies was told at Lincoln College yesterday that the salmon - evaluation scheme, begun last season, had presented considerable practical problems. Mr J. W. Tonkin, of Ashburton, the secretary of the South Island Salmon Committee. said ICI and Watties had at empted to net and

trap 300 salmon for shipment to Japan, the United States. Canada, Britain, and West Germa. ' for analysis. Mr Tonkin said trapping in the Waitaki and Clutha rivers proved virtually impossible, and netting by variout means was not much more successful.

Only 84 fish wer< sent overseas for analysis. These were drawn from the sea at M eraki, and from the Clutha, Waitaki, and Rakaia rivers.

The fish were graded from one to three. Sea fish, freshrun, and those with darkening bellies, to grade two, were all passed by the evaluating countries as suitable for the fresh, frozen whole, or smoked trades.

The grade three fish, taken mainly from the highbank tailrace on the Rakaia River. 1 were not favourably received. because most of them were past maturity, Mr Tonkin said. In many cases, the fish taken from the Rakaia had already spawned and were not suitable for consumption. Mr Tonkin said Watties and ICI were satisfied with the results and now intended to make releases in the Waitaki and Clutha rivers; 100,000 smolts had been approved for this purpose.

Releases would continue for three years, and then the programme would be assessed. If there were prospects of success the companies will consider establishing a hatchery. The scheme might offer advantages for anglers because the hatcheries w< ild be between seven and 13 miles from the river mouths.