ANGLERS’ COMPLAINT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23205, 1 June 1937, Page 13

ANGLERS’ COMPLAINT

STOCKING OF TOMAHAWK LAGOON ACCLIMATISATION COUNCIL CRITICISED Strong criticism of the attitude of the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society toward the stocking of the Tomahawk Lagoon was expressed at the annual meeting of the society last evening. Several members maintained that there were no grounds for the decision not to stock it with Leith fish, arguing that the results over 28 years had been satisfactory and that the evidence upon which the change had been made was not authentic. Members of the council said that the tagging operations of the past two years had shown conclusively that Leith fish did not thrive in the Tomahawk Lagoon. “I am sorry to say that there has been a controversy about the stocking of the Tomahawk Lagoon," said the retiring president (Mr G. E. Turner) when he was moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet “ There seems to be an impression that because the society Is not putting Leith fish into the Tomahawk it Is being neglected. That is quite wrong. Last year, for example, we put no fewer than 10,000 young Silverstream fish into the lagoon. We have consistently stocked the Tomahawk with young fish and fry. In fact, I say that for its size the Tomahawk receives more stocking than any other piece of water In New Zealand, In the past two years fish in the lagoon have been tagged and returns obtained which have shown that fish from the Leith do not flourish in the Tomahawk.” A member: Don’t be ridiculous. The chairman: That is what our experience has shown. "DAMAGE DONE IN STRIPPING " Later in the meeting the subject was reopened by Mr M. J. Leckie, who commented that after 30 years’ satisfactory fishing Mr J. Macome had converted the council to the idea that it was no use putting fish from the Leith into the Tomahawk lagoon. "After all this time the society has been convinced by one man that its collective wisdom was all astray,” he said. The chairman (Mr C. A. Wilson): What about the results of the tagging? Mr R. M’Kinley: There have been fish put into the Tomahawk for nearly 30 years and there was never any complaint. The fish that were sent in were not sent to show that Leith fish did not thrive in the Tomahawk but that the damage was done in the stripping at the Leith. I have seen fish Bid at the Tomahawk and clots of and old ova in them and the flesh pushed away from the ribs. Those fish would not thrive anywhere. All this change has happened in ' the last two years, despite the excellent results of 30 years’ stocking and fishing. There is no doubt that the trouble was due entirely to bad stripping at the Leith. A MISTAKEN VIEW Mr Turner: Some of the anglers have taken a mistaken view. The decision was not made on the results given by two fish. About 40 tagged fish were received and only one of those .had maintained its condition. Thera were no tags until the last two years. A member asked if any fish from the batches put into the Tomahawk were opened to provide a comparison with' the tagged results. Mr Turner: We question If the fish were damaged before they were put Into the Tomahawk. Several voices: But they war®. Mr Maconle confirmed that there were clots of blood in Leith flsh taken from the Tomahawk, "But I am not going to say what caused them,” he said. “This Is not my pat aversion, as has been said. It is the result of tests which gave definite information. I have had a good deal of experience with trout, ana nothing will convince me that sea-run flsh will thrive if they are put into an environment different from that which gives them their normal, rich feed. Mr Turner: It doesn't matter to the members of the council what flsh go into the Tomahawk. We were guided by results of tests, and there is no reason for any personal feeling. After some further general discussion the chairman took the meeting on to the next business.