ACCLIMATIZATION

Southland Times, Issue 22012, 11 May 1933, Page 5

ACCLIMATIZATION

SOCIETY’S ANNUAL REPORT. YEAR’S ACTIVITIES. The annual report of the Southland Acclimatization Society which will be presented at the annual meeting on May 22, states, inter alia:— It is gratifying to be able to repor that the losses of the last two years have been turned this year into a small profit of £3 8/-. This has been achieved by drastic curtailment of expenses and the sale of ova to the value of £250. The sum of £174 2/7 has been written off the assets, but it must be remembered that this represents the depreciation of three years. Fishing licenses were up by £l5, but there was a decrease of £2O in shooting licenses, which must be considered very satisfactory under the prevailing conditions. Interest is less by £6O, owing to a reduction of the rate allowed on our fixed funds and to an allowance having to be made to the society-s mortgagor. De* licenses for the > LW season brought an only £54, ana the revenue for the current season will be only slightly better. The other items of revenue do not call for much comment. On the expenditure side, the two main items, hatchery expenses and ranging have been reduced by £l5O and £92 respectively. Research is lower by £59, owing to a reduction in the amount sent to the Central Research Committee. The sum of £146 6/11 was spent on deer destruction as against £246 19/10 last year, and as the Government is not allowing us any of the opossum revenue which was previously used for destruction of deer, this sum will have to be further reduced in the coming year. The item “game farm, £125 2/2,” appearing in last year’s accounts is replaced in this year s by “quail, £39 17/7,” this being explained in the Game Committee’s report. No further comment upon the accounts appears to be necessary. Hatchery Committee. The Hatchery Committee has pleasure in reporting a very successful season for brown trout ova. To save expense it was decided at first to trap only the Wairaki, Upukororo Rivers and Henry Creek. Racks were established in each of these streams. Early in the season a heavy flood was over the Wairaki rack for' several days and about 200 fish from the pound escaped upstream. The season during the winter was very dry and there was practically no spate in any of the streams, and consequently the fish would not run up into the traps. As it seemed doubtful whether sufficient ova would be available for our requirements it was decided to trap the Eglington River in addition to the other streams. In August there was a fresh in all the streams and an excellent run of fish was obtained in all the traps. Within a very short period sufficient ova was obtained to fill the hatchery. The traps were lifted and the balance of the spawning fish allowed to proceed upstream. The death-rate of the ova was higher than usual, probably due to the fish being over-ripe owing to the low streams. The detailed list of ova procured shows that all the streams produced a good supply of ova. The Wairaki produced less than in previous years, but this was probably due to the flood early in the season, which flood allowed a large number of fish to escape upstream.

The manager, Mr Evans, reports that the rivers were in good order for planting ova in the spring and he considers the planting of eyed ova was very successful. The fry also carried well and the losses during liberation were negligible. The society has now been conducting ova collecting operations for ten years at Te Anau and we think it may congratulate itself and its officers on their judgment in selecting the site for the hatchery. Every year has produced an ample supply of ova and this result has been obtained without trapping or interfering with any of our fishing streams. The hatchery is also within easily accessible distance of the headwaters of our fishing streams, thus facilitating the liberation of fry and planting of ova. The reports from our streams indicate that the society’s policy of heavy stocking is bearing fruit. All the streams seem to be extremely well stocked in spite of the increased fishing and the increased efficiency of fishing methods. The question of the best time to liberate fry seems to require further research. Certain published investigations by American and Canadian research workers suggested an enormous mortality among recently liberated fry due to natural enemies. Dr. J. C. Mottram, however, has recently investigated this matter and points out that the food of trout fry consists of the larvae of gnats and other minute insects. These larvae hatch out in the spring and if the hatch is delayed by cold weather, floods and other causes, the trout fry die of starvation. Dr. Mottram’s article appears in “The Salmon and Trout Magazine” for September, 1931. It is also suggested by other observers that fry should be liberated in small quantities spread over the streams. Liberations of large quantities in one spot results in starvation owing to lack of food supplies. During the summer months the Te Anau hatchery and plant were overhauled and put in order for the coming season. Last year considerable trouble was experienced owing to an algal growth in the race getting into the hatchery boxes. To obviate this the race has been piped from the spring to the hatchery. Difficulty was also experienced at the eyeing station at the Eglinton and steps are being taken to deal with this. Te Anau Hatchery. The following are the details of intake of ova and liberation of fry and planting of ova for the 1932 season:— Brown Trout Ova Collected: Wairaki Station, 500,000; Eglinton Station, 1,360,000; Henry Creek, 380,000; Upukororo, 1,512,000; Canterbury Society 150,000; intake 3,902,000. Brown Trout Ova Output: Westland Society (purchased) 500,000; Waitaki Society (purchased) 100,000; Nelson Society (purchased) 250,000; Wellington Society (purchased) 350,000; Ohai Angling Club (gift) 60,000. Total 1,260,000.

Rainbow Trout Ova collected and bought: Waiau River 13,000; Marine Department, 100,000. Intake 113,000. Rainbow Fry (liberated): Lake Monowai 100,000; Aparima (Dunrobin) 12,000. Total 112,000.

Ova Planted: Waimatuku (Upper), 50,000; Aparima (Dunrobin to Otautau), 100,000; Oreti (Mossbum to Josephville and across the Five Rivers), 250,000; Lora (from Gorge down), 80,000; Otapiri (below Gorge), 80,000; Dunsdale (from Main Road up), 80,000; Mataura (Parawa-Garston), 100,000; Otamita (from Railway to Hargest’s), 80,000; Mararoa (Flaxy Creek), 60,000. Total, 880,000. Fly Liberated: Waimatuku (upper), 40,000; Aparima (from Dunrobin to Wrey’s Bush, including the upper waters of the Hamilton Bum), 143,000; Pourakino, 20,000; Oreti (from Centre Hill to Winton and across the Five Rivers), 278,000; Lofa (upper), 40,000; Otapiri (upper), 40,000; Dunsdale (upper), 40,000; Titipua (upper), 20,000; Hedgehope (Bushy Park), 20,000; Waihopai (above Woodlands), 20,000; Eglinton River, 26,000; Lake Gunn, 20,000; Upukororo, 60,000; Lake Side (Te Anau), 40,000; Mataura (Parawa-Gars-ton), 40,000; Otamita (upper), 40,000; Waimea (Balfour to Mandeville),

40,000; Mararoa (about Wilderness), 40,000. Total, 9G7.000. Native and Imported Game. This phase of our activities has again been fairly satisfactory. After last breeding season the bulk of the quail at Te Anau were liberated in that district, and encouraging reports have been received of their increase. The Upukororo Valley should prove an admirable place for their natural increase, and in time it is hoped to trap the birds for liberation in other parts of our district. During the past season Ranger Duncan proceeded to Otago Central to instruct the Otago Society’s ranger in the trapping of these birds, the two societies agreeing to share fifty-fifty of the spoil; as a result one hundred and fifteen birds were liberated in Southland. Our total liberations are now about 1250. In addition Ranger Duncan has experimented on a small scale with the raising of quail at his residence, and has met with marked success. Shooting Season. The Minister of Internal Affairs approved of the council’s recommendation for an open season for grey duck, spoonbill and black swan, the bag limit being twenty birds per gun per diem, and the season opened on Monday, May 2, and extended until June 30, both days inclusive. Ducks proved to be very plentiful at the beginning of the season, but later were very difficult to obtain, as the weather was on the whole much too fine. Our recommendation for a short season for pukeko of seven days, six birds per day, was refused. This was to be regretted, as it would have been in the interests of the birds to have complied with our request; as doubt-' less a number of these birds are destroyed per medium of poisoning, etc. The Minister declared in favour of a short season for paradise duck for one week, with a limit of five per day and extending from May 2 to 8, inclusive. An open season for godwit was gazetted from February 1 to March 31, 1933, both days inclusive.