ACCLIMATISATION MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21736, 30 August 1932, Page 7

ACCLIMATISATION MATTERS

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held last evening in the board room of the secretary (Mr R. Hanning). The president (Mr S. F. Aburn) occupied the chair, and there were also present Messrs H. M'Dowell Smith, W. G. Reid, G. Howes, G. Porter, T. Long. J, Hutchison, S. Barnes, W. H. Wilson, J. R. Wilson, A. J. White, W. Maconie, J. H, Stewart, and G. E. Turner. . Mr R. Fountain was elected a member of the council to replace Mr J. S. Skinner, who has resigned. "" ; GAME COMMITTEE. The Game' Committee reported,:— The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded, a warrant authorising Andrew Hislop and Robert William M'Skimming, of Benhar, to shoot pukeko damaging their property.—Received, i The department wrote suggesting that the shooting of pukeko on W. Marshall's property should be done by our ranger or under his supervision.—Received. The department also wrote granting W. Marshall, jun., permission to shoot pukeko for 14 days from August 15, and giving the number of pukeko shot by various people to whom permits were granted.— Received. W. Marshall, jun. (Outram), wrote regarding damage done on his place by pukeko.—Received. The director of the Zoological Gardens, Parkvifle, Melbourne, forwarded information regarding stubble quail.—Recommend that we write to the Department of Internal Affairs and ask for permission to import some stubble c,uail, and also that the people named be written to and asked if they will give us a price for up to 50 pair. *,:";.■. Messrs J. F. Drake (Maungatua), G. L. Young (Heriot), and J. G. Gow (Rocklands Station) gave information regarding the quail liberated by the • society.— Recommend that from 12 to 20 pairs be sent to Mr Gow, 12 to 20 pairs be put near' the Silver Peaks, and that another lot be liberated this side of Merton. The report was adopted, and it was decided to supply some ..quail to Mr A. Harris (Clinton). ANGLING COMMITTEE. . The Angling Committee reported:— The committee recommends that the society should ask the City Council for permission to kill the perch in a dredge hole "at Waipori. / , > ■ - Mr Adamson's returns of eggs collected at Lake Hayes: Total to August 23, 2,loo,ooo.—Recommend that Mr Adamson be instructed to stop collecting green eggs. - Mr A. E. Ansell, M.P., wrote regarding the protection work to be done on the Waitati Stream.—Received. ~. The secretary of the Tapanui Anglers Association wrote asking for a donation of £lO towards the work of clearing gorse, etc., from the banks of the Pomahaka River. ' Mr J. J. Haggle (Palraerston) wrote enclosing a petition signed by 162 people asking that netting at the mouth or any part of the Shag River be prohibited.— Recommend that the petition be gryen to Mr Hefford, chief inspector of fisheries, and that he be told that the society; is strongly in favour of the request being granted; that the letter be given to Mr Howes; and that a letter be sent to the secretary of the Otago Anglers' Association asking for the support of members. _ The report was adopted, the Tapanui Anglers' Club's request for a donation being declined in the meantime. . - SUGGESTED REGULATIONS. . The Angling Committee submitted the following suggestions to be forwarded to Wellington. •'■ ■ ' .. ■ ■■■ .. ■.■■■■■■' No. person shall take, or fish for trout, salmon, tench, or perch, by other .than the following recognised. methods:r—Bait: Fly or trolling, and only with the heremmentioned tackles, as applying respectively:—Bait fishing: Not more than two sets of baits, no set having more than two hooks. Fly-fishing: Not more than two flies or lutes, each having only one hook. Trolling: One artificial fish, devon, or spoon (having not more than three treble hooks) or one fish with two trebles and one single' hook attached, or Stewart tackle. •'•'-, ■'■' No person shall attach any weighty exceeding 14 grains below any baits, flies, or lures. ' - Every fisherman is recommended to carry a disgorger. - _ Some fish food, such as crayfish, bullies, etc., be put into Sullivan's dam and the Southern Reservoir. ~ Referring to the regulation regarding trolling, Mr Porter said that he considered that the side hooks on artificial minnows should be removed. There was at present no better weapon for strokehauling than the present style of minnow. ■ ■.. Mr Barnes Baid that he was not in favour of taking up too autocratic an attitude in matters of this sort. Anglers were used to the present form of minnow, and it might be wise to make alterations of that sort gradually. . < Mr Hutchison said that the only objection he had to the present minnow Was the use of lead below the hooks.. He moved that the clause regarding weights on tackle should be deleted and the position left as at present. With this alteration the recommendations of the Angling Committee were approved. *" . ,' ' , Mr J. R. Wilson moved that the nineinch limit should apply, to the Glenomaru Stream as well as to the Leith, Waitati, and Evansdale Streams. —The motion was seconded by Mr W. H. Wilson and was carried. ; : Mr Porter suggested that the words "or any other unsportsmanlike ; device" in the angling regulations should be altered to read ''or any other unsportsmanlike method." l —lt was decided to use the words "device or method." FEEDING OF GAME. A letter was received from the Undersecretary, Department of Internal Affairs, regarding the feeding of native and imported game on ponds and lagoons. The society's representations had been noted,but it was pointed out that the matter had been considered before and it had been thought that it was very doubtful whether any proposals to make the practice illegal were practicable. The difficulties certainly seemed to be great. The society was asked if it had considered dealing with the situation by lowering its bag limit. Mr Porter said' that the shooting of game which had been hand-fed seemed to be a cold-blooded business. He thought that the time -Was overdue when the Government should take some action to stop

it. Mr Turner expressed disapproval of the practice of feeding game, but at the same time he said it would be bard to find a suitable regulation. The ebairman said that the matter would be discussed at the annual conference. ■