ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2539, 12 November 1902, Page 54

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

- The menthly meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, held on Friday, 7th inst., was attended by Messrs R-. Chisholm (chairman), J. Edgar, C. D. R. Richardson, S. M'Donald, A. E. Farquhar, G. M. Marshall, A. C. Stronach, P. C. Neill. T. Brown, D. Russell (secretary), and F. Deans (manager). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs R. T. Wheeler, jun., and A. C. Begg. The following report for the month of October waa submitted by Mr F. Dcams: — "The rairfbow trout have all spawned, the re*ult being 174,000 ova. Since last, meeting the following numbers of ova have been sent away:— To Geelong, 45,000; Ballarat, 30,000; and Hobart, 20,000 — all rainbow ova^ — making a total for the season of 115,000 rainbow ova, 40,000 Loch Leven ova c and 10,000 American brook trout ova ; total, 165,000. The remaining ova are all hatched except some rainbow. Of the yearling Looli Leven trout a.t Opoho, 1700 were put in the Leith, 1050 in the Waitati, and 600 in the Waikouaiti River; also in the latter stream I put 6000 Loch Leven fry. and from Clinton I put 400 Loch Leven yearlings in the north branch of the Tokomairiro River. The following number* of fry will be ready for liberating coon, and arrangemewnts ought to be made at once for their distribution; both hatcheries are included:— Brown trout, 30,000; Loch Leven trout, 135,000; Scotch burn trout, 60,000; and brook trout, 12.000. .. The yearling rainbow trout, both at Clinton and Ope ho, -will have to be disposed of, also a few yearling brook trout at Opoho. A fortnight ago I liberated in the Leith 43 spare male fieh of various species, averaging close on lib in weight." ■» The report was approved and adopted, the distribution of fry to be left to the executive. Mr Steven (Clinton) forwarded the following report, which was approved and adopted: — "During the month 3000 Loch Leven yearliaige have been distributed in the Waiwera, Upper and Lower Waipahi, Kuriwao, and Tokomairiro streams. There are still a few hundred left to be distributed in the Pomahaka, and 200 of the bett of these yearlings have been placed in a small pond to be kept for stock. The pond of yearling rainbows has been emptied, which we found contained 1400. Five hundred of these I have delivered at Invercargill to Mr Brass, the Southland Society's curator. The next lot of 500 I have arranged to deliver on Friday, 31st met. During the month two shipments of rainbow trout ova have been sent from here — one, of 32,000, to the Geelong Society, amd one of 20,000 to the Commissioners of Fisheries, Hobart, — making a total export of ova for this season of 166,000. A small stripping of rainbow ova has been taken during the month, making the last for this season, which makes the season's total of all classes 590,700. The greater part of the ova have now hatched out, and several of the earlier hatchings have arrived at the feeding stage, and all the fry appear to be in a very thriving condition. I estimate the number of fry in the boxes as followe: — Loch Leven, 85,000; Scotch burn, 65,000; brown trout, 150,000; 300,000. I have had Mr D. Barnes assisting me in tidying up the place, grubbing gorse, etc., during the last fortnight or so, but I regret that we have not been ! able to make very much progress owing to the very unseasonable and unsettled state of the weather." Mr H. Buckland wrote resigning his position on the council, as ho held it was quite useless for him to retain that position holding the views he did with regard to netting M» trouti and h^ flow considered he waa^

perfectly at liberty to take all steps, -through the press or otherwise, likely to secure the legalising of the netting of these trout, or whatever they might be. It was resolved that the resignation be accepted with regret. I Mr Edgar gave notice of motion that he would move at next meeting that the Hon. T. Fergus be elected' to fill the vacancy on "the council. i Mr Richardson gave notice of motion that he would move at next meeting that Mr A. C. Begg be elected president of the society. The Secretary of the Waikouaiti Fisbhig Club wrote asking if the society intended taking any steps for the issu* of licenses for netting trout for the ensuing season, as a petition was being got up to bo forwarded to Sir Joseph Ward if the Acclimatisation Society - intended doing nothing in the matter. Their fishing was done in the surf some three miles to the morth of the river mouth. — The secretary Avas. instructed to reply that the eoeiety at present had no power to issue licenses. The offer of trout from Tomuka was received with thanks, and action left to the executive. A letter was read from the Christchurch Society asking the society to send two dele- ! gates to a preliminary meeting to be held in Chrfstchurch on November 12 in connection ' with the formation of an acclimatisation association. — Resolved that Messrs Brown j and Sinclair Thomson be appointed delegates. Mr A. Wise wrote on the subject of native wood pigeone, stating that long experience had convinced him that the open and close seasons for these birds were at the wrong time. — The letter was referred to the executive. ! Mr A. R. Blackwood (Melbourne) wrote , to the effect .that. Sir Rupert Clarke could let the society have from 20 to 30 head of deer if the society paid the expenses of transit. — Resolved to hand the offer over to the Southland Society, with Mr Blackwood's approval. Mr Farquhar spoke strongly against the practice of netting as carried on in the ■ Tokomairiro River, the stakes in rhe river being in some cases, he said, pulled out by a horse and a rope. — It was resolved that : an advertisement that no netting whatever ' would be allowed be inserted in the local paper, and that the matter of staking the Sh<lg and Tokomairiro Rivers be referred to the executive. A number of accounts were passed for payment, and the meeting then terminated.