ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14668, 30 October 1909, Page 4

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

I The regular meeting of the council of tile Otago Acclimatisation Society was held \\\-lerday afternoon, and was attended by Messrs tlhishohn (chairman), Brown, Forlost, M'C'arfhy, Farquhar, Chamberlain, liiiitcnvorth, i'jtl»ftr, Jenkins, Cowie, I) Hus.sc'l (secretary), anil F Deans (manager). The Chairman extended :i welcome to JMi' I'' r.rown after his throe years' absence, iho welcome beinir briefly acknowledged. Tk' executive recommended that tho Tapamii Soc-iety be communicated with ami asked 10 instruct settlers to ihoot de,or that might tic found on their property doiti-r damage; Unit the council increase, the price of shags' heads from Is to 2s, i':)::i'i:ri>-.!ul on the beaks being delivered at the sreiefy's olfiee, Dunedin; that the Ikwea. Incentive be advised to stop the shootin« of doer after November 10.— •\i. ~t,'d. .\ hi '?r was road from the Government ili» fallow 'leer Itcrd, enclosing an oxlracl. from a letter written bv Iho sec.ot-.uy of (];e Clydcvale Branch o"f Iho New •/„■ ■■mil Fanners' C'nion. The extract was io the effect that it bad ken resn.vcd that, the door had become a pest to settlers in the district, the union was of tho opinion that steps should be tip Icon by the society to have thorn removed or exterminated; also Hint tho .settlers should ..ho compensated for (he damage done by those animals.—lt was decided to acknowledge receipt of the letter .'Hid to .siate what the soeistv had done in tin matter nci'Oßis. , Mr Deans'* report for October was as follows:--The distribution of iisli has commenced. This will bo a pretty largo contract this year, as thero are upwards of a mdhsn :y.A a-lmlf, besides a considernhl<> number ot* yearlings. There are soma 7u or GO thousand fry of the Lake lilagdon trout, which have not been allotted vet. This cm:; be done later on. The following birds have Wen added to the stock at Opoho:--Oiio i).iir Australian teal, one pair iiiwularhi ducks iwo .pairs American wood duck, one Lady Ami.urst pheasant hen. and one silver pheasant hen. The latter bird has been placed in the Botanical (Jardons. 1 regret io say one of tho American wood ducks died two days niter she got her liberty in the aviary." It is vorv much to be regretted that 'all our efforts to establish in tho upper waters of tho harbour ti sanctuary for native and imported lish have been futile, and that tlio. Minister of Marin,, has again seen lit to change tho boundary; this time to tho exact point it was so necessary to protect-in-.., a small bay Ix'iwe.'ti a point on the mainland and the end of tho Harbour Board's training wall, near the Cement Works. This little bay is al'vmt 300 yds across, and nil salmon and trout making- for the I.eilli to deposit their ova have to pass through here, and the fishermen know where they can get a html of trout when tlwy' want it. It is reported that I rout arc caught here j in great numbers at tcrtaif seasons, and quietly tinoh.jroi! awaiting a favourable op-i porltniily In get their, ashore. The fishermen can still tisb up io this point, and we tiro pnii'licaliy whore wo wore before any steps were taken in. the- matter. Thero is only one licensed fisherman above Havensbourne, anil he lives at the mouth of the Loith. I can only characterise the, whole proceedings ;i.s a miserable fares, rellocling anything but honourable credit on the parties who have Ruined their poiut." Tim Chairman said, that, in view of tho assurance by telegram ami leller that tho points lixed IS months ago, from Havensbourne to Clmllis's farm would be adhered to, tho society had remained quiet. Now, in tho ' latest Gazette, a notice appeared that the points lixed were from Black Jack's Point across Iho Htirbo'ir. He thought the council should express itself very decidedly upon the position. He had drafted a 'motion which lie thought, would meet tho case. It was: "That this meeting desires to place on record its'strong protest against, the action of the Minister of Marino (the Hon. J. A. Millar) in again, for tho third time within a few years, curtailing iho area in the Upper Harbour whore netting is prohibited, after a distinct promise thft the points lixed 18 months ago wove, to be retained. Mr Jenkins mentioned that tho Minister had bei;ii interviewed by a .deputation of se;i fishermen first of all. A .suggetiou was thrown out that a. copy of Mr Dcans's report should accoin|>any flio motion; also that wlisn tho delegates wore in Wellington they should endeavour io have an interview with the Minister of Marine. Ths motion _ was carried, with the addition that copies be. sent to the Minister and members, and Mr Deans's report was adopted. Mr Sloven reported as follows for October:-" On the 12tli July last I shipped from the port of Wulf, per s.s. Uliniaroa, three cafes of ova consignvd to tho Inspector of Fisheries, Melbourne. 1 have no doubt or hesitation whatever in saying thill, the three cases in question were in good order and condition, and had: drainage holes in the bottom of each case, and that, tho necessary instructions were given to tht! butdier on board the steanwr ns to the charging 0 f the ice trays, ate. If the consignees tire still in doubt I would in-S'.-st that the case in dispute be returned Io Mell'omiis for their further inspection. It appears to me rather strange that the consignee, in their con-espomlenci on thi., mailer, should have omitted to stale that Jihis consignment 0 f ova (vas lm t |, : ik el i J<.]j. very of for nearly one week alter tho steamer's arrival in the port of Melbourne. | With reference to tho first case of Loch j Leven ova shipped to BaHarat on tho 28th | Jum, and reported to have gone bad | More hatching out, it might ba interesting I to find out how a shipment of 45.C00 of j the same stripping, and' shipped same ihlv I to (ieelotig, (timed out. As to the second consignment of 15.C0C shipped on August ! 19th, these were part of a stripping of 50 odd thousand, and 'hose remaining were hutchd out in splendid condition. As the collecting of ova from the different sources is now completed for ill.?, season, the following figures s'limv the results:—Brown trout ova, 1,261,000; I.ooh Leven, 306,000: Scotch burn. 103.1)00; rainbow, 02,000; Lake Bl.i-ul.m, 47,000:- total, 1,799,000. Ova. raid: Brown trout, SOO.000; Loch Lcvcu, 115,000; rainbow, 60,000. Rstiinatcd number of fry available in- distribution: Brown trout, cSO.OCO; Loci) Leven, 176.000: Scotch bum, 9j,0G0; Lako Blagdon, 37,000; also, from 15.000 to 18,000 yearlings. A few lots of fry have already ben distributed, ami this work will Ire steadily pushed on until ooniplflted."—Adopted. STOI'KIXU LAKE LOUDON". Mr K. ]■:. Stark, city electrical engineer, wrote ro sloshing Lako Loudon, tit Waipori, with trout. The (Chairman said Mr Stark had called upon him, and he (tho chairman) had told him tho .society would- not entertain iho request on the conditions stipulated in the letter (fish to supply the corporation employees at AVaipori, and tho place not to bo a resort for tourists and anglers. Councillors and visitors would occasionally Ibh the reservoir, but it should lw protected, and fishing, other than by special permit, be forbidden). He also told Mr .Stark that it. was no use making the application unless Ihe water was left open to anglers in iho usual way. Mr .Stark had expressed his perfect readiness to (all in with this?, and- he (the chairman) suggested that the lake should he stocked with Loch Leven. It was rcsolv«l that tho lata bo slocked on the conditions mentioned, the chairman stating that the manager proposed to put. 100 y.-arling Loch Leven.s into the lake turd 11,000 fry into the stream supplying the lake. OBJECTION TO A WEIB. The Secretary of tho Diocesan Trust, Board wrote with reference to a weir that had been built across tho Water of Lcith on ths board's property, and roqitesto;! that it might bo removed or the society would be held responsible for any damago done. The Chairman explained the circiimslanoes under which the weir had been constructed, and staled that the impression at the time wa, that the property belonged to Iho late Mi Simon M'Donald.— The matter wa-t left in the hands of (he chairman f« interview the secretary ;i the bcaiy], IiF.XKRAL. It was resolved io purchase Puller's book on biriln at 15 L-uineas. ft was decided to complv' with a request cf Iha Bruce AnalerV Soc-ietv for 2000 yearlings for the Tokomairiro Kivr.