ACCLIMATISATION MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22267, 21 May 1934, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION MATTERS

PAST YEAR'S ACTIVITIES SOCIETY'S ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, to be presented at the annua] meeting on May 28, stales: — FINANCE. The revenue for the year at £2493 3s 2d shows an increase over the total for last year, £2373 12s Bd. This increase is due to having received this year a proportion of the opossum revenue, of which last year nothing was received. The expenditure for the year amounting to £2621 17s shows an increase of £220 10s 9d over the total for last year, which was £716 7s 6d below the total expenditure for 1931. The result of the year's operations shows, after providing for depreciation, an excess of expenditure over income of £l2B 7s lOd. WAITATI HATCHERY. The principal work at Waitati is the hatching of trout eggs, despatch of eyed ova to the society's customers, care and feeding of the fry, fingerlings, and stock fish, and later on the careful liberation of the young trout in the.various waters decided upon by the council. Care has to be taken of the eggs and fry throughout the period while they are in the boxes. This work covers a period of about seven months of the year. The hatchery and its surroundings are in good order and reflect credit on thpse responsible. No tree planting _ was done last year. Probably some will be done this year, and any blanks will be filled up. The trees already put in are doing very well. FISHING LICENSES. For the fourth year in succession the number of fishing licenses sold in the district shows a decrease as compared with the previous year. This year, however, the decrease is comparatively small. It is to be hoped that future years will show a much, better result, and that those who have had temporarily to forgo their favourite pastime will be able to resume it. Since 1929 the amounts received for the sale of fishing licenses are:—l929, £2205 7s 6d: 1930, £2268 15s; 1931. £2145 13s 9d; 1932, £lß4l 17s Gd: 1933. £I6BB 17s: 1934. £1653 lis. COLLECTING OF TROUT EGGS. The collecting of eggs is one of the chief duties the society has to perform. We were fortunate this year in getting what we required, the largest number being secured in the Leith, which yielded 1,382,000 green eggs. A total of 146,000 was secured from the Silverstream, and the Waiwera gave 20,000. From the Scotchburn fish in the society's ponds at Waitati we took 462,000 eggs. Later on 1,008,000 brown trout fry and 301,000 Scotchburn fry were liberated from our hatchery in the streams set out hereunder. Our sales of brown trout ova came to 620,000, and we exchanged 100.000 brown trout ova with the Upper Clutha Anglers' Association; 100,000 fry were kept to be liberated as fingerlings later on. Assisted by a subsidy from the society, the Upper

Clutha Anglers' Association collected from Pembroke Creek and Timaru Creek 507,000 brown trout eggs and 10,000 rainbow. The fry from these eggs • were liberated partly in our district and partly in the Lakes Society's district. This association is anxious that the rivers aud lakes of the district should be well stocked with trout. The total number of fry liberated from the hatchery at Waitati was:—7sß,ooo Leith brown fry, 137,000 Pembroke brown fry, 113.000 Silverstrear" brown frv, 301,000 Scotchburn;—a total of 1,300,000. In addition, from the hatchery at Pembroke there were liberated 360,000 Pembroke brown fry and 10,000 rainbow fry, a. total of 370,000. The grand total was 1,679,000. TAGGED FISH. During last season's trout stripping operations, some fish taken from the Leith were tagged and reliberated. Should any of these tagged fish be recaptured, the council desires that particulars as to the weight, length, girth, sex, date of recapture, condition, etc., be forwarded along with the tag to the society. If desired, the tag will be returned to the persoti taking the trout. On May 25, 1933, 24 trout were ringed with silver wire on the anterior end of the dorsal fin, and returned to the Leith. On May 27, six trout were tagged on the lower lobe of the caudal fin with an aluminium tag and released in Tomahawk Lagoon. On July 15, 20 fish were liberated in Tomahawk Lagoon after being marked with a silver ring bearing a plain unnumbered tag, on the anterior end of the dorsal fin. Mr Main, of the Hakataramea hatchery, has for some years now marked the quinnat salmon yearlings prior to liberation in the Hakataramea. Anglers securing any of these marked salmon are requested to furnish full details, including place of capture, to the society, or to Mr Main. ANGLING. From reports received, fishing generally has been comparatively good in our district this season. Fair baskets were taken from the Shag, but the Very low summer level of this stream must have a detrimental effect on both fish and food. A i few good fish were taken in the Waii kouaiti, but although it still contains a '■ fair body of water and plenty of small fish, the fishing was not up to standard. Tomahawk Lagoon again gave good sport when conditions were suitable, the fish doing well there, and being good fighters. Fishing was good in the Roxburgh district, also at Lakes Hawea, Wanaka, and tributaries. Central Otago reports show that many fine fish have been taken, anil anglers have also had many good bags from southern rivers, chiefly the Pomahaka, Waipahi, Mimihau, and Mataura. These streams still keep up their reputa tion. The Upper Taieri was not in good condition due to mining spoil. The low state of Mahinerangi dam last winter, with the resultant shortage of food, left the fish in rather poor condition for the opening months, but good fish were taken after Christmas, some returns showing an average of lib for the season. Unfortunately, broken weather was experienced at Christmas and again just before Eastei, which somewhat spoiled the fishing of many, but given good weather and conditions it is still possible to obtain a fair catch in most of our streams. POLLUTION OF STREAMS. For some years great forbearance wax shown by the society to those sawmillers, flaxmillers, dairy factories, and others who were guilty of polluting streams, and so Ion" as some heed was paid to the warnings o? the society or of its ranger, misdemeanours ot this nature, unless serious, were generally overlooked. Last year, however, conditions in some streams became so bad that it was considered imperative that action be taken to put a stop to the practice. The society was successful in obtaining convictions, even though one of the cases was taken to the Supreme Court. Since then the minimum penalty for infringements of this nature has been increased from £2 to £lO, showing the sympathy of the Minister to : the demand that our water areas should as I iar as possible be kept pure. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. During the past year the Local Research Committee has supplied the Central Committee, at its request, with details of the stocking of Tomahawk Lagoon and angling there for the past several years. To this committee a report has also been supplied relating to perch in Otago waters and their bearing

on trout inhabiting the same waters. The campaign for the purity of waters is still being pursued, and decided progress made. The question of deterioration of angling receives the attention of the local committee, and its energies are being directed towards one or two problem rivers— Waikouaiti, Deep Stream, and the Shag. It is hoped that the cause of the general decline will be revealed and measures adopted to arrest it. Apparently food, or rather want of it, in most answerable, and should this be proved probably a system of food-raising could be devised by the Central Committee The council of the society appeals to anglers to send in a return of trout caught durinc the season which has just closed. The form for this purpose was attached to each license. Up to date the number sent in is small. The w-ork of tabulating returns will be seriously handicapped unless a reasonable number is sent in. During the year 217 envelopes containing trout scales were sent on to tne Research Committee in Christchurch, and reports upon the streams from which the trout were taken will be furnished from time to time by the committee after a sufficient number of scales from each stream has been received. BLACK SHAGS. Consequent on the increase in the amount paid per head from 2s to 'is 6d, the disbursements during the year for the heads of black shags shot on inland waters show a large increase over the total for the previous year. The bonus paid amounts to £63 15s, representing 524 shaes. The council appeals to sportsmen, particularly those near to streams where rookeries exist, to spend a day or two occasionally to keep these birds in check, and thereby lesssen the huge loss of young fish these birds are responsible for. each year. SHOOTING SEASON. The duck shooting season of 1933 was rather disappointing at the opening, due largely to the dry season, and a-orn the observations of a number of shooters it was considered that a great number of birds migrated to Southland, which had large flooded areas. In certain districts good bags were obtained, and in the Balclutha area limit bags were secured on the first morning. Waipori Lake and Kaitangata were rather disappointing, probably owing to the excessive numbei of mai mais scattered right across the lakes, leaving no resting place for the birds. It is interesting to note that shooters are making a move to alter this state of affairs. GAME. As compared with the 1952 season., the number of licenses sold shows a considerable decrease, the respective figures being:—l933: Native game. 719; 1932. 901. Imported game: 1933, 127; 1932, 141. As mentioned in previous reports, chukor were liberated in 1926, 1927, and 1928, principally in two localities. Our ranger made inquiries last year when trapping quail in the Cromwell district about the birds liberated there, and he reports that a number of rabbiters, musterers, shepherds, and farmers had seen small coveys of chukor about the hills surrounding Cromwell. These birds had been seen in the Clyde, Cromwell Gorge, also on the Bannockburn side of the river. The people to whom he spoke about chukor are of the opinion that the birds have established themselves properlv. While in the Timaru Creek district some months ago, the president ascertained that the birds were well established in j the Hunter Valley district. I The council last year made arrange- ! mente for trapping a number of quail in Central Otago, to be liberated in areas close to Dunedin. with the object of providing sport to those town and country sportsmen who cannot spare the time and expense involved in going to Central Otago after the birds. The work was undertaken by Ranger David and Mr J. Maconie. and the number of2birds trapped was 130. Of this number, 25 pair were sent to the Waitaki Society, six pair were forwarded for liberation to South Otago, and those left were put out in areas comparatively close to the eitv. The policy of supplying settings of pheasants' eggs to those who wished to try and rear young birds was continued throughout the year. A totaj of Sll eggs was supplied from the 21 hen birds at the hatchery at Waitati to 19 persons, but the results

achieved were disappointing. In addition to the settings sent out, 60 eggs were put under bantams at the society's hatchery. Out of this number 30 chicks were hatched. Dut since then about half of these have died. The number of birds at the hatchery on April 18 was: Adult birds—l 9 hens, 4 cocks; young birds—B hens, 10 cocks. The experiment is to be repeated next year, when it is hoped, with the knowledge already obtained, better results will be achieved. RED DEER. Since February, 1931, the society haß issued to private parties over 31.000 rounds of ammunition for the purpose of deer destruction in our district. The operations of the deer shooting parties of the Department of Internal Affairs, plus the toll taken by private individuals, is steadily decreasing the number in the Makarora, Hunter, and Dingle. Mo stalkina licenses are now issued in our district, OPOSSUMS. An open season for the taking of opossums was granted from June 1 to August 1, 1933. Over 200 permits were issued from the society's office to bona fide occupiers of land entitled to trap without a license, while 62 took out licenses. The number of skins taken in our district was 20,942. There is reason for stating that a good deal of poaching was done out of season. This is a pity, as the inevitable effect of this indiscriminate trapping, if carried on for any time, will be to deplete the animals unduly and spoil what, properly carried out, should be a profitable source of revenue to many people.