NETTING AND THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 9

NETTING AND THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The attention of your readers has recently been drawn to another invasion of public rights. I refer to the attempt of the Otago Acclimatisation 'Society to prevent the netting of indigenous fish in Blueskin Bay. In one of your recent issues you published extracts from regulations affecting netting, and you also published a warning that netting at Waitati was prohibited. Your readers are aware that it is the opinion of the Otago Acclimatisation Society (or at least of a majority of the members of the council of the society) that it is unlawful to net in Blueskin Bay, but it would be indeed surprising if you, in < the warning, iyere of the definite opinion that netting in Blueskin Bay were totally prohibited. With respect it is suggested that this question is one for judicial determination, and I believe that the public’s right to net in Blueskin Bay would be established beyond all doubt.

Should your opinion (or that of the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society) be the correct one, then it is high time for the residents of Doctors’ Point, Waitati, and Warrington to take active measures to obtain the revocation of the offending Order in Council. There should be ample grounds for the restoration of what has always been an undoubted public right—viz., the taking of indigenous fish out of the sea in Blueskin Bay. The attempt of the society to destroy this public right strikes at the fundamental rights and liberties of the people of this country, for the privilege of taking fish from the sea is almost, as established as that of the public’s right to breathe fresh air.

It was indeed encouraging to notice in your report of the meeting of the council of the society that at least some members were a trifle concerned about this 11 interference with the rights of the public,”, and that one member went so far as to say that the regulation was never intended to prohioit netting on the flats. The last mentioned member was probably quite right in his statement, but he would have been more correct had he stated that the regulation did not, in its letter, totally prohibit netting in Blueskin Bay. It would be quite improper and Unfair for the local residents and

property owners to allow the Acclimatisation Society, itself a party to the dispute, to be judge and jury in the whole matter and to decide the case in its own favour.

The inconsistency resulting from the suggested ’effect of the regulation is, in itself, a good ground for its revocation. Netting is permitted in such good trout rivers as the Taieri and the Waikouaiti—in the first case, as far up as the Main South road, and in the latter, right up to the railway bridge. In the cases of both of these rivers it could be reasonably contended that _ netting might be detrimental to the interest of anglers •, but, who ever has seen or heard of an ambitious angler casting a fly or even a worm in the VVaitati stream? In any case, from the accounts of net fishermen in Blueskin Bay, very few trout are ever caught there. On the other hand, hundreds of people, either residents or. holidaymakers at Doctors’ Point, Waitati, and Warrington, derive pleasure in net fishing at Blueskin and enjoy the cen-tury-old privilege of a fresh flounder for breakfast. There are always some misguided people who will “ poach,” but the society has adequate means and legal machinery to prevent such an abuse.

It is urged, however, that local residents and even the citizens of Dunedin who are interested, should not hesitate in taking concerted action to resist this selfish attempt on the part of the Acclimatisation Society to poach on the public preserves of Blueskin Bay. —I am, etc., , T , . Warrington. November 12.