FISH RESEARCH WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 11

FISH RESEARCH WORK

TAGGING OF TROUT WANGANUI RIVER ACTIVITIES SUCCESS OF SCALE-READING More than 200 trout from the Wanganui River were tagged arrd liberated by officials of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society last winter, and measurements and samples, of scales from each of these trout have been taken and forwarded to the Fish Research Board. Two of the trout thus tagged have already been caught by anglers and in each case tho fish had travelled a distance of many miles from the point at which they were tagged and liberated. A further tagging expedition was made to Wanganui River during last week-end, when data from 70 fish wore secured, and afterward tho fish were liberated. t

Considerable progress has been made in the study of tho many problems surrounding the fresh-water fisheries of the Dominion during the past few years. A Fish Research Board, with headquarters in Canterbury, has been established, and it is maintained by annual grants from the leading acclimatisation societies of the Dominion. The board, which has on its staff scientists highly trained in fishery problems, has also the co-opcration of the Government and Mr. A. E. Hefford, chief inspector of fisheries.

The Auckland Acclimatisation Society, as one of tho societies responsible for tho setting up and maintenance of tho board, has for two years been concentrating upon obtaining scientific data relating to rainbow and brown trout from tho Wanganui River.

Scale-reading has also /nade rapid strides and from a microscopic examination of a trout scale it is now possible to determine the exact ago of a fish, its growth, the number of occasions it has spawned and other facts having a direct bearing on the improvement of both lake and river fishing. It is hoped by many anglers that the activities of the Fish Research Board, combined with those of the co-operating societies, will result in a steady improvement in the fishing obtainable throughout the Dominion, and also in the solution being found to many problems at present associated with the stocking of the Dominion's streams and lakes.