ACCLIMATISATION AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25804, 27 March 1945, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION AFFAIRS

MEETING OF COUNCIL A meeting of the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held last night and was attended by Messrs A. Digby Smith (chairman) S. F. Aburn, J. McG. Wilkie, C. A. Wilson, R. Fountain, S. H. Barnes, J. A. Rhodes, C. M. Kenward, L. E. Richdale, J. M. Paterson, G. E. Turner and J. Stoddart. The report of the curator to the Game Committee said the pheasants were doing well. One of the five chukor on hand had died. The Game Committee also reported that members had expressed surprise that the game licence fee had been increased without the matter being referred to the individual societies. The Game Research Committee’s report included the report from Professor B. J. Marples on the stomach contents of different birds supplied for examination. The analysis had been carried out by Mrs A. Lopdell, who submitted a detailed report on the examination. Although the number of birds was not sufficient to enable any conclusive finding to be given, the general impression was that swans and ducks did not actually compete in their feeding habits. The Angling Committee reported that the Department of Internal Affairs had advised that no authoritative statement could yet be made concerning the experiment with phosphate in fishing waters. The curator’s report stated that experiments were continuing with ponds of fed and unfed fish. Reference was made to the number of shags frequenting Waipo Lake, and it appeared that these birds were a menace to the fish. The Angling Committee supported the recommendation from the Otago Anglers’ Association that fishing with live bait at Lake Mahinerangi dam be prohibited between the times of one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. All these reports were adopted. The chairman reported having attended the South Island conference of acclimatisation societies, at which the report of Professor Gilbert Archey had been considered. It was decided that the society’s hut at the Owaka Valley should be handed over to the Otago Anglers’ Association. , . The question of supplying ova to other societies was discussed. Some doubt was expressed whether sufficient ova would be available to fulfil the requests received.—Mr Rhodes asked whether more ova could not be liberated in streams in the society’s district instead of supplying other centres.—The secretary (Mr L. Millar) explained that the petrol available permitted the transport of limited quantities only of ova or fingerlings, and the sale of the surplus ova was a good source of revenue.—lt was decided to advise the other societies of what supplies would be available later.