POLLUTION OF STREAMS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 5 March 1935, Page 6

POLLUTION OF STREAMS

FLOOD NOT WITHOUT BENEFITS

RIVER, POISONS REMOVED.

Although mortality' among young fish must- have been heavy as t'he result of the recent floods, prominent south Taranaki anglers expressed the opinion this morning that the heavy flush of water was not without its benefits. ’The season iso far has not been a good one, chiefly because of the low rivers and pollution. It is thought that the floods will clean the rivers of any poisons resulting from pollution. Anglers have been concerned for some time past at the polluted state of the rivers in the lower reaches. Ihe pollution was aggravated by the low state of the rivers during the long dry spell for there was not sufficient flow to keep the waters clean. Natural food beds have been destroyed and to this and general poisoning has been attributed the fact that the fish are not in good condition. They have not been , “on the move” and they have been content to lie in deeper pools. Bites have not been as frequent as they used to be, although it is recognised that the fish are there to be taken. DAIRY FACTORY WASTE. ■ One angler blamed the waste from dairy factories as the chief cause of river pollution. The water in the higher reaches of the rivers was much fresher than that of the lower levels, he said, and the pollution commenced when dairy factories were encountered. It was a. well known fact that the streams were not carrying the bulk of water they did when the bush and undergrowth of the higher reaches was more dense. There might be a certain feed value for the fish in whey and other waste if there was sufficient water to keep the rivers flushed. This was not the case, however, and with the record low levels of this summer iroisoning was bound to' result.

The angler explained to the reporter that he had frequently seen rpcks covered with a putrefactive substance in the streams. He did not see how this could be anything but harmful to the fish and, for that matter of fact, stock which drank the water on lower levels. He though that the flushing caused by the flood 1 would be of great assistance in clearing the rivers of pollution. The Hawera Acclimatisation Society is certain to be a heavy loser as a result of the floods, for this season officials made the largest liberations for many years. It is impossible, of course, to estimate the loss, but during the season 250,000 finger]ings were released. The last batch of 75,000 was liberated about six weeks ago. No further liberations will bo made this season, which concludes at the end of April. NOIITH TARANAKI LOSSES. At the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society at i New Plymouth last night heavy loss of trout, was reported. Just before the flood there had been 20,000 set free in the upper Waiwakaiho, others (in the lower reaches and 20,000 in the Stony River. Some farmers had picked up dozens of dead fish on their land after the waters had subsided and others had been trapped in still waters. Several -farmers had thrown the trout back into the streams, but others had been soon bringing back dead trout speared on pitch-forks. Six cans had been lost from the hatchery at Durham Road, but there was no structural damage.