FRESHWATER FISH

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1935, Page 6

FRESHWATER FISH

RESEARCH WORK

PROFESSOR'S ADDRESS '

A description of the work of the New Zealand Freshwater Research Committee was given by Professor E. Percival, honorary director of the committee, to, a meeting of the council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society this week. The meeting was a special one called to consider the reports submitted to the council by the' committee, states . the "Christchurch Press." . .

Professor, Percival said that if he were to speak on the need for re^ search, he would "merely repeat what had been said time and time again to societies for the last six years. Broadly, the investigations were statistical on the one hand, and the study of the conditions under which, the fish live on the other hand. . The statistical work had been carried out ever since the Freshwater Research Committee began its work, by the issue of envelopes for the collection of scales. The committee wanted to find out what happened in any stream at any given time, the aim being to be able ultimately to describe with fair accuracy what conditions would be.

The scale samples were smaller in number relatively than from any other part of the country. It was essential that as many samples as possible should be collected, but. North; Canterbury had in this not done its bit. Probably 2000 samples could come from the 1700 anglers of the district, but only about 500 had been.received. Since the society had spent money on research, it was in the interests of the society to see that it got value for that money, and the; best way was through the help of individual anglers. '. STUDY OF REPRODUCTION. Another line of investigation recently had been the study of the trout as a reproducing agent. It was most desirable that the most important streams used for trapping should have their runs .of, fish studied completely. It was desirable to find exactly how many eggs were deposited in a stream during, a season, because there was ho definite information on the benefit of liberations on the ultimate productivity, of streams. It was known that about 12,000,000 eggs • were hatched every year by societies, but it "was not yet known what effect this had on fishing in the end. •-.••■•

■ • A, good deal ;pf. the work the re^ search icomniittee asked the societies to .do was' merely the raw facts, which could be.cprrelated and interpreted by the committee. ', Some years ago a. guide for' societies and interested anglers was issued suggesting' lines of inquiry, but: nothing had come of it. The work had' been done, but it- had been done by..the committee itself. The reason was, .of course, that many were riot interested in.the committee's work, as a study, and they could nbt be ex- . pected ; to be interested. There had been complaints that no practical results had accrued .from research, but. it should be remembered that the committee, was not set up to bring about .any immediate practical results, but to, study the well-being -of fish in New Zealand. That was what the committee was. doing. The com- . riiittee'had been hauled over the coals for not: giving, advice, but it was not the committee's business, to give advice %yhich was riot'asked for. "

; • VV> THE REPORTS. The reports of the committee were1 to be read as reports of work done up to datey and so. far. the end was not in sighfc The reports, did not attempt to guide societies, but merely set; put points which might be of interest rtb societ^ea It T was a matter of • indifference to the committee whether the work .came into use now or when the present generation of anglers was dead, but the point; was that there was a body, of knowledge being built up which would ultimately be of practical use to fish culturists in this country and .the rest of, the world.