FISH RESEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 140, 10 December 1931, Page 7

FISH RESEARCH

IS IT MONEY WASTED?

PROBLEM FOR SOCIETY

INFORMATION SOUGHT

Is money spent in fish research money wasted? A member of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, Mr. J. Brasoll, declared at a meeting of the society last evening that it was, and he moved that no further money be spent in this direction. "While not agreeing to go so far as this, the society decided to call for fuller information regarding the results of the research work already carried out, upon which the society spends hundreds of pounds every year. Mr. Brasell said that the society was spending a great deal of money in research, which, in his opinion, would be better spent if directed toward putting fresh fish in the rivers. "It is only waste of pood money," he said. "A lot of our fish are running out, and we could do much good in restocking." In reply to a question, the chairman, Mr. J. S. Fleming, said the society had this year paid one sum of £266 and a further sum of £64 for research. Mr. H. H. Morris said the fishing activities in many districts were severely restricted on account of the rivers being closed to fishermen. Places in which they had always fished had recently been blocked. Property holders would not allow fishing there. Mr. A. Seed: "Do not let us talk about closed waters now. We will get nowhere.'' Mr. Morris": "If we want fish, let us buy them instead of spending hundreds of pounds in research. We would then have more fish to catch." HABITS UNKNOWN. Mr. Seed said he entertained a certain amount of sympathy with the motion, but he would not Jike to see a cessation of research work. Members knew nothing whatever about the habits of fish, the food required, or the best methods of keeping the rivers stocked with food. Only by intensive research would the society bo able to secure a guide for future years. He believed, however, that the society should have more information as to what the research workers were doing. A- great deal of money was being spent and a deal of material sent to the workers, but nothing was heard of the result. He suggested the question of fish research be referred to the conference to see what was being done. Mr. F. Dyer: "As far as I see we cannot tell what has been done, nor what it is proposed to do. We could do a tremendous amount of stocking with the money we are spending on research." Dr. G. F. V. Anson opposed the motion. "The great trouble has been our hopeless neglect of proper research of fishing," he said. "We have engaged in aimless stocking of streams. When food was plentiful everything was all right, but we are now carrying hundreds of rods more in our rivers than ten years ago. We have doubled them." Mr. Dyer: "But we do not know what has been done." Dr. Anson: "We cannot expect to &o 20 years' research in a couple of years." , Mr. E. J. C. Wiffin said the contribution toward fish research was based upon 20 per cent, of the revenue from opossums and 10 per cent, of the fish revenue; therefore the amount fluctuated annually. He added that the society, in giving this money, was laying the groundwork of important investigation. A report which had been presented to the conference had been declared by experts to be a very valuable one, and he believed the societywould reap the benefit of this expenditure. To print this report would be very costly. CHEAP PISHING. The chairman said he felt New Zealand fisheries were neglected so far as research was concerned. Mr. Seed: "None of the fishermen would object to paying an extra 2s 6d on their licence if the research fund were going down. We get the cheapest fishing in the world, and if we cannot look after our own sport without calling upon the Government for help, we are a pretty poor crowd." Mr. Wiffin said the Government fully realised the value of the research work that had been done, but when th< money was needed the society undertook to forego its grant. Mr. Dyer: "My complaint is that we have spent a lot of money on research, and we have not heard a word about it. In common courtesy the research workers should tell us if they received the material that was sent to them." It was decided to secure all available information regarding research for presentation to the next meeting, and to ask Mr. A. E. Hefford, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, to attend the next meeting of the society for the purpose of assisting members with information about fish research.

The notice of motion was held over meantime.