HEAVY LOSS OF TROUT

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1935, Page 12

HEAVY LOSS OF TROUT

STRANDED OR TRAPPED BY FLOOD.

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY MEETS.

Heavy loss of trout which had been stranded on land after the recent floods was reported at the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society committee last night. There were present Messrs. W. H. Moyes (chairman), T. Wilson, A. Feakins, G. F. Bertrand and V. Duff (secretary). The flood came at a most unfortunate time, said the chairman, because the fish liberated would have done well. Just before the flood there had been 20,000 set free in the upper Waiwakaiho, others in the lower reaches and 20,000 in the Stony River. From accounts received through farmers there must have been a terrible loss. Some men had picked up dozens of dead fish on their land after the waters had subsided and others had been trapped in still waters. Several farmers had thrown the trout back into the streams but others had been seen bringing back dead trout speared on pitch-forks. Six cans had been lost from the hatchery at Durham Road, but there was no structural damage. It had been feared at first that the whole building would be swept away and the society had been lucky to sustain such a slight loss in that direction. The road to the ponds was not affected, whereas Durham Road itself was like a riverbed. The race, which had been silted up, was now cleaned.

On account of deformation and infertile eggs, of pollution at the hatcheries in the early part of the season and of flood damage 110,000 ova had not survived since purchase. In the flood 10,000 had been lost. Societies which had bought fish had been faithfully supplied, making the losses of the Taranaki society greater in comparison. A review of the season’s liberations and losses was made and it was decided to liberate a further supply of fish in the Oakura and Stony rivers. During the month additional trout had been set free in the Waiwakaiho. All these were well-grown fish about four or five inches long. The Wanganui society wrote confirming the purchase of 5000 yearling trout, inkpad of 4000, from the Taranaki society, and the Hawera society forwarded a cheque in partial payment for fry supplied. It expressed complete satisfaction with the manner in which the curator at the hatcheries had looked after the fry and the manner in which delivery was made.

Professor - E. Percival, of the Canterbury University College staff, wrote regarding the dumping of clay in streams. It was a difficult matter to say what effect would arise without knowing something about the conditions, he said. However, in general, continued introduction of fine material into a stream tended, to be harmful on account of the deposition of a layer which was capable of smothering plants and animals living on the bed.

Fishes commonly tended to move away from water containing much suspended matter as often as their gills became abraded. It was a fact that some streams in which washings from sluicing claims were collected had become depopulated. In one in Westland Professor Percival had found no animals living. In the case in which the society was interested it would be necessary to examine the bed above the quarry in order to discover whether or not live stock could be found on and under the stones. If there was an absence or great reduction in number of the animals and plants below the quarry there was reasonable ground for blaming the presence of the quarry. The secretary was instructed to thank Professor Percival for his letter and cpnsideration of it was held over. The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded an extract from the Gazette containing a warrant declaring Lake Mangamahoe and the area surrounding it to be a sanctuary.

The Otago and the North Canterbury societies each offered to supply brown trout “eyed” ova from eggs of local streams. The cost was quoted at 3s per 1000.

Resolutions of thanks were passed to Mr. Justice Blair for a gift towards the purchase of ova and to Mr. Robert Prestney for a gift of pheasants,