FISHING PROHIBITED

Evening Star, Issue 22571, 12 February 1937, Page 6

FISHING PROHIBITED

TROUT IN CITY RESERVOIRS RECOMMENDATIONS OF COMMITTEE The Water Committee of the City Council reports that, in response to representations from the Acclimatisation Society, consideration has again been given to the question of the issue of permits for fishing in the Southern Reservoir and Sullivan Dam, For some years the issue of such permits was allowed by the council, and picnic parties and others were also permitted to have access to the ground surrounding the reservoirs and intakes, Owing to the large increase in the number of visitors and the risk entailed of causing serious pollution to the water supply, it was found essential to consider the question of excluding all visitors from the vicinity of the reservoirs and intakes, A commencement has been made in this direction at the Sullivan Dam and the intakes in the Leith Valley and on the Waitati watershed. The necessity for this action may be understood when it is stated that over 100 people often arrived at tho Sullivan Dam on a holiday to spend the day, and the grounds also became a resort for parties, who arrived there at all hours of tho night. The duty of clearing up the large quantities of all kinds of refuse scattered about by visitors fell on the caretakers, who were already obliged to work long hours and often turn out at night. A good deal of refuse was also thrown into the water, particularly at the intakes. The committee is definitely of the opinion that the conditions referred to cannot be allowed to continue, and that in the interests of the purity of tho water supply visitors should he excluded from the precincts of the reservoirs and the intakes. Distinctions cannot well be made between anglers and other sections of the community, and in any case the committee is of the opinion that fishing in the reservoirs cannot be considered as other than undesirable from a water supply point of view. Instructions have therefore been given to advise the Acclimatisation Society that it is regretted that the request for the continuation of the issue of permits for anglers to fish in the reservoirs cannot bo acceded to.