ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21990, 27 June 1933, Page 9

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held last night. The president (Mr J. H. Stewart) occupied the chair. COMMITTEES. The following committees were appointed:—/ Game Committee. —Messrs W. G. Reid, S. F. Aburn, A. B. Welch, H. G. Williams, J. Hutchison, .G. 'Porter, John Maconie, S. H. Barnes, J. H. Stewart, A. J. White, G. E. Turner, C. A. Wilson, H. M'Dowell Smith, M. Barratt, W. H. Wilson, and R. Fountain. ' Angling Committee. —Messrs C. A. Wilson, H. M'Dowell Smith, G. Howes, T. Long, H. G. Williams, M. Barratt, J. Hutchison, W. G. Reid, S. H. Barnes, John Maconie, G. Porter, S. F. Aburn, J. H. Stewart, W. H. Wilson, and R. Fountain. Finance Committee. —Messrs J. H. Stewart, J. Hutchison, C. A. Wilson, S. F. Aburn, and G. E. Turner. '' Hatchery Committee.—Messrs S. F. Aburn, G. E. Turner. W. G. Reid, C. A. Wilson, J. H. Stewart. H. G. Williams, and H. M'Dowell Smith. Research Committee. Messrs J. Maconie, M. Barratt, and F. David. Pheasant Committee. —Messrs R. Fountain, S. F. Aburn, M. Barratt. and W. G. Reid. The president agreed to act as treasurer during the ensuing year, Messrs Brodrick and Chalmer were reappointed auditors. "GARBLED REPORTS." Mr C. A. Wilson said that he was nonplussed with respect to reports that were given to the man in the street. These reports were believed to be authentic, but were generally wrong. It had been reported that big fish were not going into the Tomahawk Lagoon. There seemed to be the same fuss every year, and it was very stupid. The chairman: So long as we do what the council directs there is no need to worry about what outsiders say; Mr Wilson: The question is, where they get the garbled information from. Mr S. F. Aburn said that Mr Wilson quite rightly made some slight alterations in the council's instructions. Someone seemed to have got hold of the information and made much of it. Mr J. Hutchison said that the suggestion had been made that the information had come from the council table. Mr Aburn: There has been a lot of talk about men not doing what they were instructed to do. The chairman: We need not worry. If the chairman varies instructions and gives good reason for his action no one need worry nnless the council blames him. Mr Hutchison: Either you or Mr Wilson is beating about the bush. The chairman: I allow no one to make the suggestion that I am beating about the bush. Mr'i Wilson: I think we had better let the matter drop. The chairman: I think so, too. ANGLING COMMITTEE. The Angling Committee recommended that half of the large male Scotchburn fish at the hatchery be put into the Waikouaiti lagoon and half into the contour channel, Mr W. G. Reid to get half a dozen; that the chairman's action in giving instructions that fish only up to lib in weight be sent to Tomahawk, be approved; and that another 100 fish up to about 21b be sent to Tomahawk and tagged. The committee reported that the secretary of the Upper Clutha Anglers' Association had written asking if the society could arrange for the exchange of rainbow trout eyed ova. The committee recommended that the North Canterbury Society be written to asking if it would exchange 100,000 rainbow eyed ova for an equal number of eyed ova taken from fish in Lakes Hawca and Wanaka. ftft- Ronald S. Orbell, of Oamarii, had reported that on a recent visit he had counted _ 150 two-year-old trout dead at the irrigation works at Tarras.—The matter had been left in the secretary's hands to deal with.

The secretary of the Mataura Anglers' Club had asked for some Scotchburn fi'.v. for the Otaraia River. —To be noted for attention. The Rev. A. L. Mead, Dunedin, had written suggesting that the bag limit for trout be reduced.—The committee recommended that he be thanked for his letters, and informed that the society did not think it could take any action. A letter had been received from Mr A. Buchanan, Balclutha, suggesting that the minimum length of trout be 11 inches, and that April be omitted as a fishing month.—Received. Mr Berkeley, of Hyde, had asked for 5000 Scotchburn fry and 200 yearlings for the Upper Mareburn Creek.—The writer had been informed that the matter would be borne in mind when the allocation list was being drawn up. Forty-two fishing returns had been sent in, the average number of fish taken being 116. The report was -adopted, and it was decided that fish for the Tomahawk lagoon should not be stripped. GAME COMMITTEE. The Game Committee reported that advice had been received from the Department of Internal Affairs that acclimatisation societies would bo paid onethird of the net opossum revenue this

year. The South Taieri branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union had written stating that it was not in favour of the owl being exterminated. The Pine HillWaitati branch had advised that it was in favour of the extermination of the owl. Mr W. Kean, of Balclutha, had forwarded a petition from 24 sportsmen asking that the shooting season be extended from two to three months.—lt had been decided to reply that the matter was beyond the society's jurisdiction. Constable Simpson, Port Chalmers, had written. suggesting that the Port Chalmers reservoir at Sawyers' Bay be made a sanctuary. The committee recommended that the Port Chalmers Borough Council be written to asking if it was agreeable that the place be put on the list next year of places where shooting was not allowed. Constable Bandy, Ranfurly, had written inquiring if any magpies could be obtained for the Ranfurly district.—The committee recommended that a reply be sent that as the society had had some adverse opinions about magpies it doubted the wisdom of introducing them into the district. Mr G. Howes said that he had examined the contents of the stomach of an owl, and had found the wing cases of beetles and the fur of rats or mice. It would be helpful if he could get a supply of owls shot early in the morning. As a society they should know whether the owl was taking native birds. A member said that the owl examined had come from tussock country. Mir Howes added that he had recently been in the Catlins district, where, in spite of the fact that owls were plentiful, he had seen numbers of native birds. The. opinion in the district was that the toll of native birds taken by owls was not worth considering. ' Mr Howes added that there were very few ducks in the Tahakopa district, and he had been asked whether it would be possible to forward mallard eggs. Sportsmen in the district were keen to get them. One man would think nothing of going 50 miles to get a pair of ducks. Mr Aburn: No wonder there are few ducks in the district. Mr Turner said that he was satisfied that many ducks went out to sea at the beginning of the season. Another member stated that ducks had been scarce in the Tahakopa district for 40 years. The report was adopted. RESEARCH COMMITTEE. Reporting on behalf of the Research Committee. Mr J. Maconie said that of 10 tagged fish which had been taken from the Tomahawk lagoon not one had shown any improvement. The fish, indeed, seemed to have gone back. It seemed quite useless to put stripped fish in the lagoon. . y GENERAL. A request was received from the Waitaki Society for a supply of quail for liberation in the district. —It was decided to reply that if the Otago Society secured a good catch it would try to let the writers have a proportion. It was suggested that as there were pheasants on the property the. society's hatchery should be declared a sanctuary, but a member pointed out that if this were done the staff would not have the right to shoots shags that occasionally visited the property. —It was decided to erect notices to the effect that shooting was not allowed on the property. Inquiry was made whether a person who had a warrant to shoot pukaki on his own land was entitled to invite other people to shoot on the property.—Mr Aburn replied that only the person whose name was on the warrant was entitled to shoot.