FISHING REGULATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13997, 2 September 1907, Page 2

FISHING REGULATIONS

POWER OF LOCAL SOCIETIES.

Disciples of Inak Walton liavo been perturbed by the publication in the Government Gazette of a regulation Pcstricting tlicir <lii% basket of Iroiifc to 201b, and Mr' 11. Ghishohn, when in Wellington, received two telegrams asking him to protest against this regulation.

Mv Cliislioliit oritofed tlife protest, received much information at .headquarters, anil, interviewed oh his return to Dimcdin, had iinicli lo say that will interest iutglera and others.

It'appears that the general regulations gazetted must bs considered us apart from local regulations. The retKftn licing- that the_ department has found Iliad some small societies, in remote places do not pass any nnglins regulations at all, or if they do pass them thoy are etude, and clash with the .lot. To. meet this diriicHlty'thc department dreiv up a list of general'regulations

to apply to .tho entire colony. Localities which possess. Acclimatisation Societies are not, however, entirely, bound by these regulations, which . under ccrtain oircumstanccs would bo burdensome and absurd; but tho societies interested, knbwing their own business best, aro cxpccted to mako their own laws in matters of deta.il. A fishing license under the general regulations applies to the whole colony, subject, however, to the reflations.enforced, by tho society .of. tho locality in which the angler may bo. The rule limiting the daily catch of "trout to 201b would bo manifestly ridiculous in many,.districts,, and to. such. districts it is ■not intended to apply. In 6iich placcs, howover, where any of the genera.l regulations are found to be unworkable the local societies have power to make tho necessary amendments, 'and to notify the department of tho same', such alteration* to appear on tho back of every district license. Every Acclimatisation Society has tho right v to solid in its regulations to the department: but somo societies' neglect, to do this, and it is essential fhat 'tho deparmcnf/should receive these in time before issuing tho Gazette. • The reply to one of the leading questions put to Mr Roid at Wellington sclves'.a problem about which many anglers liavo, been in doubt. J Mr Chisholm asked: "Do tho regulation 1 * drawn up by local societies, . and dulJ gazetted, supersede the general TCgulaJ tion3?" r The roply was, ■" Certainly." Asked what the Otago Acclimatisation Society was going to do under tlia circumstances, Mr Chisholm sa-id that no tinvjj was to be lost. A meeting of tho council would-be called, and, in consultation with the society's solicitors, it would dr."ft loc-il regulations, taking care that anything in tho general regulations found to bo inapplicable to local conditions should be amended or otherwise provided for.