QUINNAT SALMON

Evening Star, Issue 18035, 1 August 1922, Page 3

QUINNAT SALMON

PROTEST AGAINST -, ACCLIMATISATION. ATLANTIC BREED WANTED. At a meeting of the council of-the Otago, 'Acclimatisation Society last night a copy of a lengthy letter that had been addressed to tlie Minister of Internal Affairs as to the acclimatisation of quinnat salmon was forwarded by the Auckland Society. Tne secretary of the Auckland .Society, in a covering letter, expressed the hope that the Otago Society would join it in an attempt to stop the fish being reared or liberated in New Zealand rivers, and at - the same time urge the Government to import more Atlantic salmon ova. The letter to the Minister strongly protested against quinnat salmon being acclimatised in the , Wanganui River, or any other river in the Auckland Society s district, for the following reasons : —All the fish died after spawning. The dead fish contaminated the water and- created a stench, and were a menace to the health of those living near the rivers. The fish were edible, out were considered poor eating. If the flesh was pink shark would compare favorably with these fish. The fish was not a sporting fish. The letter to the Minister continued that the Atlantic salmon was quite a different fish, and should be of the greatest value in New Zealand rivers, and the Auckland Society ' nrged the Government to acclimatise this fish in the Wanganui and Waikato Rivers. The Government had already been asked to give pound for pound to import 1,000,000 Atlantic salmon ova for hatching end liberating in Lake Taupo. The Atlantic salmon did not die after spawning, and was the 'best table fish that swam the seas. It was also the best sporting fish in the world, and was most prolific. After commenting on the letter the chairman suggested that they might write to the Auckland Society stating that the Ota-go Society sympathised with the i northern society, but-that so far as the Otago Society was concerned it was too late to do anything in the matter in the south. A member remarked that quinnat were now established in New Zealand, and the fish would never be got rid of. It was decided to reply that the Otago Society had not received any adverse report concerning quinnat, and did not, therefore, feel inclined to take any action in the matter.