TROUT LIBERATIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20822, 29 June 1942, Page 4

TROUT LIBERATIONS

GISBORNE OPERATIONS GAME BIRD INCREASE With large trout liberations and a dose season for game, prospects for sportsmen with rod and pun should he bright when they are able to settle down to peace-time activities. This is suggested in the report of the East Coast Acclimatisation Society to bo presented to the annual meeting on Wednesday afternoon, although it is revealed that for the year ended March 31 there was an excess of £93 in expenditure over income, reducing the accumulated funds to £355. With the absence of any revenue from shooting this year, it was suggested that great care Would have to be taken in husbanding the society’s resources, if good shooting and fishing' wore to he provided on the return of peace. A small surplus of £lB was shown in the shooting revenue account, but on the fishing side there was a loss of £l6 as a result of extensive restocking, the expenditure on ova alone amounting to £73. while the total revenue from licenses was £B3. Fry hatched out, at Here by Mr. John Howell resulted in the following liberations: —Brown trout.— Wharekopae, 40,000; Waikohu, 5000; Motu, 15,000. Rainbow. —•Wharekopae, 15,000; Hangaroa, 50.000; Waikohu. 15,000; Motu, 10,000. In addition, Mr. Bruce at ltuakituri put out 75,000 rainbow trout. Those rivers should provide good sport, although the petrol restrictions and military duties may make it difficult for license-holders to take advantage of the sport available. Among the game birds, (picks showed no sign of undue depletion, while pheasants were definitely on the increase, due to liberations and to the close season observed, while it was expected that there would be a large increase in birds next season. Another contributing factor was the persistent and regular destruction of vermin under administration by the Central Vermin Control Board. The destuction of 1130 hawks, Bui hedgehogs and a few stoats and weasels was reported The unavoidable closing of the game farm would necessitate fairly heavy expenditure in the purchase of breeding stock when that side of the society s activities could be resumed.