ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 7

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

MEETING OF COUNCIL The monthly meeting of the Council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held last night. The president (Mr A. Digby Smith) was in the fchair and members present were Messrs S. F. Abuxn G. E. Turner, A, J. White, G. Porter, W. R. O’Fee, J. A. Miller, S. H. Barnes, J. A. Rhodes, W. A. Raffills, I. Hodding, A. E. Hefford, J. W. Sineaton, and C. M. Greenslade. ■ ANGLING COMMITTEE. The report of the Angling Committee stated that 15,740 fingerlings had been liberated as .follows: —Tomahawk Lagoon No. l, 1,800; Tomahawk Lagoon No. 2, 5,796; Nenthorn Stream, 2,960; Mahinerqngi Dam, 5,184, There remained only the. experimental fish for liberation. It was,,agreed that if possible the experimental fish would be held until two years old, otherwise they would be liberated in the .Lee Stream. The offer of-Mr C. Baker to obtain information from the Howietown Fisheries when in Stirling (Scotland) was accepted. Pollution of the Molyneux River by the Finegan Freezing Works was referred to by the district inspector of fisheries, Mr F. Mclvor, who wrote stating that the company had agreed to construct a settling pond to' prevent further pollution.—The report was adopted. GREY DUCKS. Concern at the continued decrease in the grey duck population expressed in a letter from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. Parry). If the present trend continued, he said, this bird would become almost extinct within a few years. Although' attempts to breed it in captivity were unsuccessful, an experiment was. being carried out which was showing some promise. The writer felt that the bird’s greatest enemy was the sportsman, but it was realised that the natural enemies also took their toll. The information obtained so far was that the eggs could be hatched and the birds reared, but the difficulty was to obtain the eggs. It was suggested that eggs be collected, the ducklings hatched and reared, and liberated when past the. vulnerable stage. A further suggestion was that clutches which had been hatched naturally be trapped by qualified people, reared and liberated. Mr Porter expressed the opinion that it was wrong to interfere in any way with the wild life of the birds, apart from destroying the vermin. Mr Turner stressed the importance of research into the food habits, of the grey ducks as a means of assisting them to increase. ■ After a short discussion it was agreed, on the motion of Mr Smeaton, that the society express its sympathy with the suggestions, and state that it would be pleased to receive full information on the scheme.