LOSS OF TROUT FRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21639, 3 November 1933, Page 8

LOSS OF TROUT FRY

TOKOROA HATCHERIES OIL FOUND IN POND [from orn own correspondent] PUTARURU. Thursday The opinion that tlio recent heavy loss in trout fry at the Tokoroa hatcheries was rlue to oil was expressed by Mr. I. Weir, of Tokoroa, an honorary ranger ot tlie Auckland Acclimatisation Society, in a report forwarded to the secretary of the Pntaruru branch. "On the evening; of October 17," stated Mr. Weir, "Mr. K. Stopes and myself went down to tlio ponds to shift the fry from the top pond to the bottom Wne. I had not been to the pond for several days, and to mv dismay we found that tlx c;'e was a scum of some oily substance floating on the surface of the top pond, and the majority of the fish were dead. How this oil cot into the pond I do not know, but the probabilities aro that someone further up-stream had an accident) with a drum of oil, as there are several streams and water-wheels situated not far above the pond. "I am firmly convinced that this oil was the causo of the trouble, and not fungus, as has been suggested." Mr. Weir continued. "I have had experience of what oil can do to fish, and I am satisfied that that is what has happened at Tokoroa. An occurrence of this kind can be avoided in future by the introduction of scum boards in the lluminc-"