AUCKLAND ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 56

AUCKLAND ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

COMPLAINT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. {Fbom Ocb Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, June 11. The Auckland Acclimatisation Society feels that it has been unjustly dealt with by the Government's action in taking over the Rotorua district. Local members have been stirred up on the subject, end the Government ie promised some heckling during the session. The Herald, dealing editorially with the subject, cays : — "The whole question of the treatment meted out to the Auckland Acclimatisation Society by the Government will probably be threshed out in the approaching session of Parliament, nor is the debate likely to take a less bitter tone through the extortionate action of the Tourist Department in demanding from the society payment for trout ova required to proceed with the work of stocking the rest of the province, this ova having noceesarily to be obtained from the highly-stocked waters and prepared spawning grounds of the recently confiscated Rotorua country. In \iew of the probability of such a parliamentary debate we would ask those who take an interest in the matter of acclimatisation, not only in Auckland, but throughout New Zealand, and not only as sportsmen, but as colonists cognisant of the ultimate great value of the careful and intelligent stocking of the colony with desirable forms of fauna, to consider the history of the acclimatisation of trout by thp Auckland Socioty. The Auckland publio would realise much more than many appear to do the value of the trout introduction if the Government would permit the fish to be eolcl under reasonable regulations as proposed by the Auckland Society and rejected by the department. In 1876 began the work which has made the fishing fame of Auckland, enormous quantities of Californian salmon ova, about 1,000,000 per annum, being imported and hatched, and tho fry distributed in the tributaries of the Thames, Waikato, and other streams. The cost of this for two entire years was borne by the late Mr J. C. Firth, who expended no lees than £500. In addition, tho funds of the society were largely drawn upon for the experiment. It was decided in 1884 that the brown trout was not likely to be successfully established, and the society turned its attention to rainbow trout. The Government made no move, while at great expense the society was stocking 1 dv far tho finest trout fishery in the colony, but when in 1905-6 the amount received for fishing licenses advanced to £650, the Government calmly stepped in and confiscated the stocked country. Including the amounts expended on the Californian 6almon by the lato Mr J. C. Firth and on British salmon by tho late Mr W. Earl^ members

of the Auckland Society have subscribed for the special purpose, quite apart from what they have paid for their licenses, something like £3500. The effect of thi* generous support is to be seen in the confiscated territory, as is also the effect of the expenditure for years of the game license revenues, amounting to several thousands of pounds."