ACCLIMATISATION AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 22343, 20 May 1936, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION AFFAIRS

OTASO SOCIETY THE YEAR'S ACTIVITIES The annual report of the Otago 'Acclimatisation Society to be presented at the annual meeting of members to-mor-row evening states: — FINANCE. The revenue for the year at £2,294 4s Bcl is down £193 18s 8d compared with last vear, when the amount was £2,488 2s 9d. Last year’s revenue included £lB6 5s lOd for opossum revenue. This financial year we have not had anything from this source. Shooting licenses at £532 7s Gd are higher than last year by £sl Is, while this years fishing license fees are down £3l 4s 6d, with a small amount still to be received. Sales of trout eggs are down £3l 15s 9d this year. Compared with the previous financial year, the excess of expenditure over income exceeds last year’s figure by £2ll 11s lOd, largely accounted for by the non-receipt of any opossum revenue. WAITATI HATCHERY. The work carried out during the year has been sufficient to keep tho staff fully occupied. Eyed ova from Lake Hayes and from the Waitati hatchery were carefully examined at Waitati prior to being forwarded to their various destinations. The hatching of about 1,000,000 eggs was attended to at Waitati. The period from the time of stripping fish to the time of hatching of the ova was 84 days. During the first week of October the liberating of fry was commenced, and this work was completed during the last week in November Tho collecting, incubating, and liberating of fry was exceptionally good, and has been the best season experienced at Waitati. The pheasants at Waitati have been added to considerably. Two largo pens were erected, tho work being carried out by tho staff. Two brooders wore purchased for the rearing of pheasant chicks. These proved quite efficient, and although the money expended on them may seem high, they will pay for themselves in one season. SEASON 1935. Mr R. Adamson, of the hatchery staff, was in charge of the stripping operations at Lake Hayes, and had a successful season, finishing up with a total of over 2,000,000 green egg*. He went to Lake Hayes on May 21 and finished on September 9. ’ The stripping on the Leith was done by Messrs Claringbold and M'Leod, and assistance in connection with the tagging of the stripped fish, which were put into Tomahawk Lagoon, was willingly rendered by several workers. Tho Leith yielded about 760,000 green eggs, which were put down in the Waitati hatchery. From Scotehburn stock fish at the hatchery nearly 300,000 green eggs were secured. The total green eggs secured approximated 3.250,000. SEASON’S LIBERATIONS, During the period from October 7 to November 21 227,000 Scotehburn, 400,000 Lake Hayes, and 308,000 Leith or Lake Hayes fry wore liberated in the various streams and dams of the district. t In addition, 6.200 mixed Scotehburn and Leith, 11,267 Scotehburn, and 20,710 Lake Hayes fingerlings were liberated. The Upper Clutha Anglers’ Association supervised the liberation of 455,000 brown trout fry in the Otago Society’s district and 700,000 brown trout fry and 30,000 rainbrow trout fry in the Lakes Society’s district. FISHING LICENSES. It is disappointing that the number of fishing licenses sold for the 1935-36 season shows a decrease over the figures for the previous year, in which season a slight increase was recorded compared with successive drops during the year previous years. The amount received for the 1935-30 season (£1,632 15s) is £3l 4s 6d less than the total for the 1934- season. At the present time the fishing to be had in onr district has not been, so good for years, and it is doubtful if there is better trout fishing in any other district in New Zealand. The following statements give the numbers of each kind of license sold for 1936. 1935, and 19301936—Men's whole-season licenses, 1,290; men’s halfseason licenses, 299; boys’ licenses, 409; ladies’ licences, 197; total, 2,195. 1935 Men’s whole-season licenses, 1,340; men’s half-season licenses, 249; boys’ licenses, 427; ladies’ licenses, 231; total, 2,247. 1930—Men’s whole-season licenses, 1,815; men’s half-season licenses, 295; boys’ licenses, 773; ladies’ licenses, 291; total, 3,174, The amounts received since 1930 are as follow .-—1930, £2,268 15s; 1931, £2,145 13s 9d; 1932, £1,841 17s 6d; 1933, £1,688 17s; 1934, £1,653 11s; 1935, £1,663 19s Cd; 1936, £1,632 15s. ANGLING CLUBS. Throughout tho season just closed the council has continued its policy of providing medals for one of the several competitions held by the various angling clubs in our district. It desires to voice its appreciation of the servees rendered in the interests of fishing generally by the members of these clubs who endeavour in various ways to foster a love of tho sport. CENTRAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE. The work of the Central Research Committee has been steadily carried on, and at each of the quarterly meetings held during the year the members have been gratified by the progress made. Mr Parrott has been steadily following out bis work and has produced much valuable information. Mr Hobbs’s field work has been of great interest, and bis reports fully established in the minds of those who have read them the great value and vital necessity of such work. His investigation into the natural survival of trout ova and the eventual hatching of the fry interests everyone and has provided surprising results. The research work is making real pro-: gross, and wo hope that with better financial assistance wc shall shortly be able to publish the results obtained so that all interested may be able to see for themselves the progress that has been made. LOCAL RESEARCH. The work carried out by tho Local Research Committee during tho past year was in three different directions. We'attempted a little statistical work, carried out some field work, and made observations in various parts of the district. The system of trying to find out how far anglers were responsible for the depletion of trout in our waters by means of returns from anglers of catches for the whole season was this year continued. Besides this we instituted a more systematic method of fry liberation with records of the work, which we hope will be a guide in future towards the greater success of this branch of the society's activities. This work was directly under our supervision during the whole lime of fry liberations.

As an experiment a planting of 500,000 eyed ova was undertaken and successfully accomplished in the Shag River during the winter. The development was closely watched from time to time, and the ultimate results convinced us that when necessary' the ova planting method of stocking would be eminently successful if a suitable location is selected. BLACK SHAGS. This unwelcome visitor to our inland fishing waters, streams, dams, and lakes continues to take heavy toll of the trout. Notwithstanding that the council continues to pay for the heads of these birds shot on inland waters, they are still to be found in considerable numbers in our district. They arc difficult to get at on the larger dams and lakes, but in the smaller rivers and particularly about the rookeries, they are more easily shot. The council appreciates the efforts of the large number who go after this bird fairly regularly and thus assist to keep down their numbers. EELS. For financial and other reasons the society had to abandon a few years ago its policy of providing, free of charge, eel traps to those who were willing to work them. .All it does nowadays is to provide, without charge, a drawing of a trap which can be easily made at small expense. The destruction of the eels in our smaller streams is a work that is recommended to the various angling clubs in Otago. Doubtless, many eels are taken and destroyed by anglers while out fishing, and a continuation of this work is commended. If an occasional hour were spent in this way on the streams by fishermen, their work would help to keep the eels in check and would improve the trout fishing. GAME. Native and imported game were numerous in our district at the opening of the 1935 season, and. although weather conditions were not favourable on the opening, the day being too fine, better sport was enjoyed on the days following, limit hags being secured by a fair number of sportsmen, and good bags by many others. Apart from the few days at the opening, many licenseholders had reason to he satisfied with the sport provided during the remainder of the season. This season is ex; ?ted to ho another pood one, as most of the birds that can he shot are still numerous. PHEASANTS. L’nforf unatcly. the results of the efforts of the society to breed pheasants at its hatchery must again be regarded as disappointing. A satisfactory number of eggs was secured from the pheasant hens, but of the total put down 0,209) only 287 chicks were hatched, a-'tl the mortality among the young birds since hatching has been fairlv heavy, as the young birds on hand at April. 20 totalled only 141. Those are reported to ho in excellent condition, as well as the older birds. CHUKOIL Reports having been received that fhe number of these birds in our district had increased rapidly, it was de-

cided to apply for a short open season this year. This was granted for a fortnight from May 1 to 14, with a daily limit of five and 25 for the season. Small consignments of ehukor wore introduced from India in the years 1920, 1927, and 1928, and were liberated’in two localities, from which they Have spread over the surrounding country. Doubtless a number of sportsmen will avail themselves of the opportunity afforded this year of having a shot at the birds. AVhile in Central Otago last season, tho society’s ranger tried to trap sonic for liberation in other parts of the district, but had no success. The open season this year will no doubt have the effect of dispersing the birds. CALIFORNIAN QUAIL. These birds werp very numerous in our district last year, and proved good sport right through the open season from May 1 to July 31. Notwithstanding the he'avy toll that was taken, they are still numerous, and sportsmen can look forward again to good hags this year, for which there is an open season of three months, with a daily limit of 20 birds. PARADISE DUCK. For tho second year an open season has been granted for seven days, from May 1 to 7. inclusive, a limit of five per day oa 25 for the season being imposed. birds which are at the society’s hatchery at Waitati did not produce any young ones last year. They are, however, an object of interest to the many visitors who go to the hatchery during the year. PUKEKO. Sportsmen and others throughout the Dominion welcomed the decision of the Minister to allow a short season lor those birds, with a limit of eight per day. Allowing a short open season, in tlio opinion of your council, is much preferable to granting permits to those on whose properties the birds do considerable damage to stacks, young crops, and grass. An open .season gives opportunity to license holders to destroy and disperse numbers of birds which, if left alone, would do considerable damage, not only to crops, but to young ducks and eggs. OPOSSUMS. The opinion of tho skinhrokers and of a majority of 100 trapoors circularised upon the matter was that the opossum season should not he commenced till July 1. The open season for 1935 was accordingly made for two mouths from July 1 to September L A total of 103 licenses and 170 permits for ortfiisrs of land was issued, and the number of skins taken was 17,970, against 25,239 for the 1934 season. Up to the present no return has been received by the societies concerned from the Government for a share of oposnm revenue, although omohatic representations have been made. An open season for the Otago district For two moo tils has again been applied for, and the decision of the Minister is expected now at any time. DEER SHOOTING. The society lias continued to issue,

at cost price, ammunition for deer shooting. Numerous applications for cartridges were dealt with during the year. Since February, 1931. no Tower than 42,000 rounds have been sold in this way in 217 separate lots. The number of rounds issued yearly must help at any rate to keep the deer in check if it does not actually reduce the number.

MEMBERSHIP. , The membership of the society at th» close of the financial year, March 31, totals 385, consisting of 344 who became members by reason of the fact that they applied for membership on tlie usual form as holders of £1 gam« or fishing licenses, 31 who pay 10s per annum or more to the funds, and 10 life members.