TROUT IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1935, Page 4

TROUT IN TARANAKI

DISTRICTS ADVANTAGES POTENTIALITIES NOT EXPLOITED. ANGLERS’ SOCIETIES HAMPERED. POLLUTION AND POACHING CHECK. Possessing unique natural advantages, Taranaki could be developed into as tin a fishing resort as any in the world. Car' ada boasts magnificent waterways bin • has not the compact reticulation of - \ streams found in Taranaki. Here every ■ few miles a fisherman has easy access to ideal trout waters flowing from’ the mountain through splendid bushland. Unfortunately two • factors militate against the full exploitation of the district Though the local societies have succeeded in stocking the rivers fairly well there is not a bounteous supply of fish. Lack of revenue has restricted liberation and lack of power has prevented adequate protection being given to the trout. Pollution of the streams chiefly by the action of dairy factories in allowing waste to run into them is a serious problem in Taranaki. These opinions are held by Mr. W. H. Moyes, president of the progressive North Taranaki Acclimatisation Society. Interviewed recently he pointed out the narrow view adopted by a proportion of the public towards the improvement of fishing facilities. In catering for the angler a town was not merely pandering to a few enthusiasts but was incidentally helping itself. The money brought into New Zealand by visiting sportsmen was undoubtedly a huge sum too readily overlooked. AVOIDABLE DANGERS. At present the Taranaki acclimatisation societies could not afford to buy the quantity of fry that was necessary for really good stocking of the rivers in the province. Even those fish that had been liberated were subject to various avoidable dangers. . Reports sometimes were " made of poaching and geligniting In the streams, but though in some cases the offenders were named they could not be prosecuted. The informers would not give evidence in court and the society' had no funds to employ a permanent ranger. Poaching went on at night and' checking it would be a full-time job which members of the committee could not spare time to do. Some expeditions had been made but they had been unsuccessful. Geligniting was particularly annoying to anglers because the shock of the explosion killed not only the' large trout but also the young fish which represented later seasons’ catches. With regard to pollution the acclimatisation societies had the support of law if they could prove that pollution was injurious to fish, and the position in Taranaki was improving. Factory man-' agers and farmers had been in the habit of disposing simply and effectively of waste by diverting it into the Their attitude was that the people lower down must look to themselves. No individual or group of induviduals, however, had the right to pollute the streams for others, and it was not only anglers who suffered from river dumping. One farmer during the hot summer had had to cart 500 gallons of water a day because his stock would not drink the fouled water in the stream flowing through his farm. On the whole Taranaki land owners were beginning to. regard pollution in the right light. ''

GOOD SEASON EXPERIENCED.

The trout season in Taranaki this year, has been normally gbod. Most anglers have landed fish averaging about 21b to 31b and there had been some six-pound-ers caught. The record was probably a ; catch at Piakau, a fish weighing 91b 15 OZ. ■ ' . ’.=■ At the Durham Road hatcheries great) strides were being .made. Last year 40,-' 000 young fish had been set free in’ various streams. This year, in spite oF • the loss of 80,000 ova through pollution, a total of 305,000 had ben liberated, Of these there were 58,000 brown fingerlings and 46,000 well-grown rainbows already in the streams; the balance of the brown species of 4000 or 5000 rainbow were still at the hatchery awaiting lib-’ eration. The Hawera society had been supplied with 100,000 fry and 110,000 fingerlings and Feilding with 10,000 fingerlings. At the hatchery 20,000 six-month-old fish were awaiting delivery to Stratford, and 5000 of the same age were set aside for Wanganui. Particular care had been taken this season with the counting of the fish. No rough • estimates had been made but the trout had been counted out accurately ■ < by hand. The societies supplied had been satisfied with the condition of their purchases and would deal with the North Taranaki group next year. It was hoped that roughly half a million would bi reared at that time without danger of a high mortality through pollution.