ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 6, 6 December 1930, Page 10

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The council of tho Feilding Acclimatisation Society met last night, Air F. H. Stockwell presiding. Also present wero -Messrs F. H. Billing, P. P. Stevens, E. Ingram, C. Wickham, W. Waugh, D. G. eraser, E. H. Lange, T. Burne and A. H. -Marshall.

The council adjourned to the society’s holding ponds in Alanchester Street to inspect tho trout fry, members expressing their pleasure at the progress made by tho fish and also at the fact that the cause of the recent mortality among the fry had ucen traced and removed.

In reply to the council’s letter regarding tho closing of the Rangitikei River to all baits except artificial ones, the Wellington Society advised that it had closed the river from the Bulls bridge to the mouth to all but artificial baits because of tho Peilding Society’s refusal to close any part of the river to worm fishers and it had been considered necessary to do this by tho Wellington Society. The same restrictions had been placed on the Oroua River below the Awahuri bridge and in this connection the Wellington society refused to subscribe to the contention of the Feilding society that it (Feilding) was the one principally concerned with the stocking of the- Oroua River. The Wellington society did not know what amount of fry wore liberated by the Feilding Society in tho Oroua, but this season the Wellington society had liberated approximately 5000 in its portion, besides heavily stocking the -Manawatu. —Tho council discussed tho matter at length and it was decided to write to the Wellington society, pointing out that he Feilding society had not considered it fair to close the river to worm fishers, but had recently agreed to the request of the Hunterville branch of the W’ellington society to close the upper portion of the river provided it was open to worm fishers from the Bulls bridge to the mouth. Further, that the Feilding society was correct in its contention that it was the principal stockost of the Oroua River in that it yearly liberated about 12.000 yearling trout fry in the stream, and that it considered the Wellington society’s plea of 5000 fry in its portion was hardly applicable as the portion of the river alluded to was absolutely unsuited for fry liberation in that, it was sluggish and subject to infection from eels for tho greater part of the distance. GENERAL. It was decided that the rates of the game season, be the same as last year, except that tho season for ducks be restricted to two months and that a one-month season be requested for pukeko shooting owing to tho complaints of ravages of crops, etc., made against these birds, which are on the absolutely protected list.