CONTROL OF SALMON

Southland Times, Issue 19656, 5 October 1922, Page 6

CONTROL OF SALMON

SOCIETY OR DEPARTMENT VIGOROUS PROTEST TO BE MADE Comment was being freely passed yesterday favourable to the proposal to establish a fish hatchery opposite -the Waterworks and from th? remarks that were made by many people in town details of the scheme are being eagerly awaited. The Southland Acclimatisation Society’s intention to hatch Atlantic salmon as well as trout has enhanced the interest in the project, and the' decision of the conference oetween the Society and the committee of the Council, as well as the result of the trial of the municipal waters to ascertain their piscicultural suitability is being aw aitel by anglers and other sections of the public. A rumour, however, has gained currency to the effect, that it is the definite intention of the Marine Department to take over the control of the Atlantic salmon. This apprehension is understood to be fairly well founded, and Mr A. H. Stock, president of the Southland Acclimatisation Society, stated yesterday that the Society would strenuously oppose any assumption of control by the Marine Department. He said that the Society was in possession of facts which would prove its claim as the body which was originally responsible for the establishment of the Sahno Salar in Southland waters, and the proposal for Departmental control of the work was nothing less than sheer robbery. The Society had worked through the years to establish the “king of the waters,” and had achieved its object without cost to the community. It had always worked for the love of the game, and in the interests of anglers and the whole public of Southland. Its efforts brought no extra burden on the people, and the work was backed by interest and enthusiasm. Under Departmental control the continuation of the work would not be supported by enthusiasm and public interest. For this statement Mr Stock referred to the workings of some of the Government Departments, which, he declared, cost a good deal of money and were not conducted upon business principles. He also raised the point that the Marine Department had no authority to take control, because the section of the Fisheries Act under which the Atlantic salmon came had been put under the jurisdiction of the Department of Internal Affairs as from June 1, 1913. Discussing the facts of the case, Mr .Stock said the Government had claimed that the Southland Society had not any Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar) in the Waiau. “We have liberated in the Southland rivers, Oreti, Aparima, Orawia and Maraxoa. and in Lake Manapouri a total of 590,142 fry, 80 smolte and 5,545 yearlings,” he said, “and of these the Waiau watershed hUs received: Orawia 69,400 fry, Mararoa 1,045 yearlings and 80 smolts, and Lake Manapouri 4,200 yearlngs. The last, liberation in Lake Manapouri was in the year 1900. As no return has been achieved in the Orawia and Aparima, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the fish found more favourable waters in the Waiau and its tributaries.”

Another strong point raised by Mr Stock was the authenticated reports of the capture of Atlantic salmon in 1901 and 1903, whereas the Government did not commence its liberation of the Atlantic salmon fry until 1908. During the years 1908 to 1911 the Government had liberated 2,000,000

fry, and these were claimed as the progenitors of the fish now being caught. How, then, did the Government account for the fact that a 41b grilse had been taken in the Waiau in 1901, and captures of Atlantic salmon had also been made in the Waiau in the year 1903 by Messrs H. Erskine and Templeton? The Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Mr F. L. Ayson, had recently heert directing his energies to the acclimatisation of the Quinnat salmon, but anglers did not want this fish. They realised that it was of no value to them, neither was it of any use to the general public. In streams where quinnat runs had been observed the brown trout had sadly diminished in numbers, and this was proved by the fact that the Society in the district where quinnat had been established had recently called upon the Government to supply them with a large quantity of trout fry to replenish their streams.

In conclusion, Mr Stock remarked that the Southland Acclimatisation Society was now legally in control of all acclimatisation matters of the. Southland, Wallace and Fiord Counties, which, therefore, gave them full legal right to take salmon from the Upukororo river and to establish an “eyeing” station there.