OTAGO ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 5

OTAGO ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

o The council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society met yesterday afternoon. Mr R. Chisholni occupied the chair, and there were present-—Messrs .T. Edgar, A, E. Farquhar, J. Sinclair Thomson, J. Roberts, C. Chambcrlftin, A. E. Jenkins, C. Turnbull, C. D. Richardson, R. Rutherford, R. Forrest, and A. Cowie. Mr Thomson intimated that he was compelled to tender his resignation as a member of the council. Ho was leaving for England very shortly. It had always beeu a pleasure to be a member of the Acclimatisation Society. He would be happy, however, to do anything in his power for tho council either as a body or individually whilst in England. Tho Chairman said he thought he was voicing the opinion of the council when he regretted that Mr Thomson was leaving New Zealand. He suggested, however, that Mr Thomson's resignation be not accepted, but that ho bo retained as a member of the- society. In his position in England Mr Thomson, who had always been an active member of the society, would stilt be very useful in executing commissions for tho society.—lt was unanimously decided that Mr Thomson be granted 12 months' leave of absence. The Chairman, in reporting upon the conference of delegates of Acclimatisation Societies, sajd that, at the eleventh hour Mr Forrest had been unable to attend the conference owing to tho ilhioss a.nd subsequent death of his wife. He thought that a motion should be passed expressing sympathy with Mr Forrest in his bereavement. Mr Turnbull attended the conference with him. Air Edgar moved, and it was unanimously decided, that the delegates be thanked for thoir attendance and attention at the conference. Mr Deans (tho society's manager) reported as follows: — I think the collecting of brown trout ova is now finished, and 1 am pfeased to say it has been a very successful season. Tho number of ova of this varioly obtained from all sources is 1,710,000. Of this number 1,363,000 were obtained from the Leith. This constitutes a record. After spawning tho majority of the trout were placed in Lako Logan, and I take this opportunity of thanking all those who lent a helping hand at this work. Of brown trout ova 100,000 were sent to the Southland Society, and 30,000 to the Ballarat Society; also, 40,000 and 10,0 M Loch Loven trout ova were sent to Geelong and Ballarat respectively, and 5000 American brook trout ova to Auckland. There are also several other orders received for ova, which will bo supplied in due course. You will see from Sir Stevens's report that he has secured a forgo number ot ova from- the stock fish, and the rainbow trout have yet to spawn. \Vhilo on this subject I may be allowed to refer to a letter of Mr Sullivan's, which appeared in tho Times recently. In this communication he attributes the 'huge run of trout in the'Leith to.natural consequences. Kow, I. havo had a- long experience in collecting ova in-the Leith, and until we put or energetic rangers to watch the mouth of the river we couid never get a decent ova harvest. If the fishermen had been allowed, as formerly, to ply their nets close up to the mouth of the Leith, we would not have had such a splendid run of trout, beoauso the trout would not have been there to corae up. No one knows this better than Mr Sullivan. The fact that several persons have recently been eluarged with using nets within the prohibited area—namely, within half a lnilo out the mouth—shows that they did so for the purpose of taking other than indigenous fish. He also attributes the scarcity of flounders to iho cannibalistic habits of the voracious trout. It has not been proved to my satisfaction that trout do prey on flounders. He also hints that this society wanted to close all the harbour' from the islands upwards. In this he is mistaken, for I never heard of it. He t»:so refers to the fow of the leisured class as if they. wero beneath his notico. Now, it might bo interesting to him to kuovr that this leisured few numbers some 1400. Then, 1 again, ho says that trout should never havo been allowed- to enter the harbour. That may bo, but how were they to bo kept out, considering they bio all along the coast. He might as well havo said thoy should never have been brought- to Now Zealand. Respecting the price of fish, it. was reported some time ago that Mr not get the price he wanted. What was not sold were sent hack and dumped into the harbour, and tho Health compelled at least oho individual' to. gather them up again. This would be done for the purpose of keeping up the price, when thoy might have be*n presented to a charitable institution. • Another correspondent, Dr de Lautour, gives some useful information on the habits of the trout, but I can Ecarcely fiili in with him respecting the importation of the Rhine trout into England, and that it is a strain of those fish we havo here. The markings and appearance of the Rhino trout are so different from the English variety that it would be impossible to mistake the one for tho other. Some years ago the New Zealand Government importod the ova of the Rhine trout, but they did not suceed; they never spawned properly, and d ; <xl out. I know of only ono specimen, possibly the only oi-a-livo in New Zealand, a female, and a fine symmetrical specimen. of probably 10lb or 12lb, and is to bo seen at the Clinton hatchery. The report was received and approved. Mr J. Steven (manager of the Clinton hatcheries) reported, under date July 29, that up to date 650,000 brown trout ova had bscii received from Dunedin, and 347,000 had been collected locally. Loch Levesi ova procured from stock fish numbered 324,000: burn trout ova, +2,000. Americau brook ova, 8000 ;—total, 1,471,000. When tho raiiirbrow trout ova was added to this all the space in both hatcherieswould bo fully occupied. During the month a consignment of 50,000 Loch Leven ajid 30,000 brown trout ova had been forwarded' to Oelong and Ballarat. The report was received and adopted. Mr Frank Wallace, who spent some time shooting in Otago a few years ago, wrote suggesting that, fresh blood should be introduced into the deor herd.—The Chairman slated that there had been an unmistakable expression of opinion at the recent conference that the Otago Sooioty. should 'jo very careful lo retain tho pure Scottish breeding of thoir deer.—Tho letter was referred lo the executive to report. Mr Edgar wrote resigning his position as treasurer to the society, after 17 years' service.—lt was resolved, on tlie motion of Mr Roberts—" That- the counoil learns with great regret that Mr "Edgar has decided: to resign tho position of treasurer, which he has occupied for 17 years; and that the president bo requested "to draw up a suitable resolution to send to Mr Edgar, to bo accompanied by some souvenir to lx> selected by the executive." Mr Edgar's name to bo placed upon the list of hon. members. It was further resolved that Mr Chamberlain ho respectfully asked to accept the position of treasurer to the society. Mr Chamberlain expressed his willingness to undertake the position. Accounts amounting to £25 were passed for paymjn-l.