FISH IN TARANAKI RIVERS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1930, Page 11

FISH IN TARANAKI RIVERS

QUESTION. OF REPLENISHING. A meeting of tho executive of the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society • ’was held in New Plymouth last night. Present: Messrs. W. R. Johns (chairman), T. V. Wilson, C. N. James, A. E. Baker, N. Fookes and Dr. P. Adamson. The contractors wrote regretting that the concrete troughs at the hatcheries were not satisfactory. They were aware that they were not as true and clean as they would have been if plastered. If the society wished the troughs plastered they would submit as low a price as possible. Mr. Wilson and the chairman were delegated to interview the contractors.

Replies regarding the endorsement of licenses were received from other societies. Wellington and Auckland were not in favour of a mutual arrangement, but Wanganui, Hawera and Hawke’s Bay were agreeable. The question of purchasing ova for stocking the rivers was considered. Mr. James suggested that the Government should be approached for free ova. The Waiwakaiho needed replenishing. Mb. Wilson thought that the completion 1 of the dam would make a big difference to the Waiwakaiho. He suggested that this time they should get less ova and hold some until they were yearlings. The matter of the number of ova they could get hinged largely on finance, said the president. The additional expense in turning out yearlings would be very small. They could be fed on liver and milk curds. He suggested, perhaps, 100,000 rainbow ova.

“The question is,” said Dr. Adamson, “what do our license-holders expect from ns?”

“Some expect fry, and some yearling?,” said Mr.’ Wilson. “Some feel strongly that local conditions are against rainbow and that we should get more brown ova.”

Tho meeting decided to order 150,000 rainbow ova for delivery at the end of June,, and 200,000 brown for delivery at the end of August. The matter of keeping back some of the ova for yearlings is to be decided later.

An article appearing in the Daily News on poaching in the Taranaki rivers was received from Mr, C. M. Hill, the writer suggesting that local committees, should be formed to prevent poaching. The difficulty in the way, said the president, was to get license-holders, to give evidence against anybody they .saw poaching. They were Jifraid of being victimised. For that reason he., was doubtful whether' the scheme would work. ’

Copies of the article might be sent to landholders, said Dr. Adaqison. It might, be pointed out to them that .if they knew poaching was going on and took no action they xKre accessories before the act. Mr. Johns said that the landholders watched for the poaching of game, but were not so much interested in fish. 2

Small committees could help the society a great deal in other .ways, said Mr. Wilson. They knew . the streams and could advise the society in the" liberation of fish. .

The secretary pointed out that the scheme had been tried before,. The only possible way to cope with poaching, he considered, was by. having paid rangers.