PORTOBELLO MARINE FISH HATCHERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2905, 17 November 1909, Page 21

PORTOBELLO MARINE FISH HATCHERY.

'A EULOGY AND AN APPEAL.

The marine fish hatchery at Portobello and its claims for assistance in the valuable scientific and practical work which is there conducted formed one of the many subjects that came before the conference of Acclimatisation Societies held at Wellington' last week. The delegates present showed themselves to be full} alive to the value of such an institution and the splendid work it has done in the past and is stilt doing, ■ and, on the motion of a northern member, it was unanimously resolved that the. acclimatisation societies of New Zealand be' recommended to subscribe as j liberally as they could afford to the funds I of the Portobello Marine, Fish Hatchery ['-Board. - It -was further resolved -that the - conference should urge upon .the Govera- ; ment the extreme desirability of supportI ing the hatchery by every' means in its -• power in order to forward tihe introduction |of food -fishes to New Zealand. In pnr- ; euance of that resolution.

Mr C. W. Chamberlaind, one of the Otago delegates to the conference stated to a Times reporter that a deputation waited upon the Mioistei of Marine, when the resolution of the conference was placed before him. Mr Chamberlain, as a member of the .deputation, spoke of the foundation'' ot the hatchery by Mr G. M. Thomson-, M.P., and of its subsequent valuable work. The .Hon. Mr Millar accorded the depuiatation a very favourable reply. The Government, he said, quite recognised the amount of work performed at the hatchery and the success which had attended the board's efforts so far. It was his intention to recommend Parliament to make further provision in the way of a grant co as to enable tiie boaryl to carry on the introduction and acclimatisation of British and European food fishes to New Zealand waters. At the present time the Government gives a grant to the board of £250 per annum, and last year an additional grant of £250 was made in order to assist in the carrying out of urgently required* additions to the hatchery buildings. The highly work which is being conducted at the hatchery is pointed out from time to time. There are now a number of healthy-looking imported lobsters and corahs at the station, while during; tihe past season there have been turned out in Otago Harbour 36,000 of the hu-vse of the lobster and about 6,000,000 of the larve of , the crab. This year .there are anticipations of even a bigger success beingaohieved. Experiments are now being conducted in . Scotland and England by the direction of the marine stations there to ascertain what prospect there is of introducing the- various food fishes to New Zealand and vrttjcb are best for. the purpose, and! .. until the .results of these experiments are made known the Porfbbello- Fish Hatchery Board must mark time in respect of tha importation of certain fishes. In the re- - port of the Marine Department, presented . to the House during this session, will be | found a very interesting report from Mr O. M. Thomson, M.P., chairman of tih« board, summjurieing the work done, also a lengthy and somewhat technical description by the curator (Mr Anderton) of the 6teps taken to 'secure permanent supplies of crab and lobster larvae. Mr. Chamberlain said he~ considered that great praise was due to Mi* Thomson for his untiring efforts, extendiing over many years, in the direction of increasing the supplies of food fishes in New Zealand waters, and also in studying the live habits and development of the local fishes, a work which will be of priceless value later on in the conservation of the New Zealand marine fauna.

An impression has g»t abroad, said Mr Chamberlain, that efforts at the station are - devoted ' too much to purely scientific research and too little to practical and com* mercial considerations, but that is not so. ; The practical side » carefully kept in view, but until the scientific side has been properly studied it is impossible to hope for success in the practical eide of the ■work."

Motor< waggons are to be used in the carrying trade at Taranaki. One of these Has just been landed. It is of 20 horse* power, and is built to carry two tons. The coastal cettlers hope that by up-to-date means of communication many of their disabilities will be removed.