SHORTAGE OF TROUT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 229, 26 August 1938, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF TROUT

IN WELLINGTON DISTRICT. STOCKING THE STREAMS. ' ' At the meeting of the council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society it had been cecided to-adopt a report from a sub-committee recommending trapping operations of trout in the Waimarino district, near Ohakune, said Mr E. G. Matthews (chairman) at the monthly meeting of the Palmerston North sub-committee of the society, last night. In regard to the. supply of trout ova, Mr Matthews added that the matter had been discussed. Two orders had been placed with South Island societies. From the Otago Society 1,000,C0D ova- had been ordered to augment the supply, ytens were being taken to prevent such a shortage as had occurred last year, but .it was unlikely that the southern associations would be able to supply all the ova required. This scheme was an alternative to piu - - cliasing. more ova next year, when it was ' proposed to start trapping. Mr Matthews added that-the proposition would' cost the Wellington Society about £l4O and the ranger (Mr Andrews) would. probably be required in the Waimarino district for about three months. It was- considered that the £l4O would be expended m any case in purchasing supplies from other centres if these were available, and it was better, to have their, own source.

At Waimarino, said the chairman, the fish would be stripped of their ova and eyed-up and taken to Masterton for hatching. He was. of the opinion that this money would be well spent, as there was a surprising shortage in the Dominion/ The supply of trout had recently become very short in the Manawatu district, and it was not known where they, had gone. It was presumed, however, that they had gone out .to sea, as trout had been seen as far as 300 miles from the const.

;■ Mr A. H. Taylor-said that it would be a good, idea: , if. ; the Waimarino scheme was inaugurated. He thought that Mr Andrews should'take the matter up if ’they were going to get, an adequate supply of fish. The sub-com-mittee should make sure that the streams were fully stocked for the fishermen in this particular district. He thought that something definite should be done, . - .

Mr Matthews said that the proposal had been definitely decided upon at the last ineetiiv’ of the council.

Mr Taylor thought that it would not lie fair for Air Andrews to be away in the AVaimarino district helping to trap the fish. He objected to the sub-com-mittee’s ranger being absent for three months during tile shooting season. It was the oninion of Air Alatthcws that it was a fair proposition. Someone had to be there and the supply of ova was essential. The AA’ellington Council, he said, had practically decided to send Air Andrews.

Air Tavlor’s objection was also upheld bv Air C. Nielsen, who proposed that the sub-committee strongly protest against the pronosal to take Air Andrews away from the district at such a time. • Tt was eventually decided that the sub-committee recommend to the council that some other helo he procured other than that of Air Andrews.