ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18489, 10 February 1930, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Council cf the* South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was held at Temuka on Saturday. Present —Messrs T. R. Mackay (chairman), W. G. Aspinall, C. S. Young. R. Hunter Weston, J. Stevens, G. G. Lewis, G. G. Rich, E. Macdonald, T. Twigg, W. S. Grant and J. McDonald. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr C. W. Cottam, Fairlie, wrote objecting to the questioning of him by the ranger, as to whether he had shot a hen pheasant. The chairman said that Mr Cottam had not been accused of the offence, and it was regrettable that inquiries had to be made. * The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded extracts from the New Zealand “Gazette” containing a warrant declaring an open season for chamois and thar in the Society’s district. The Mount Cook Tourist Co. made inquiries in connection with the issue of licenses for stalking chamois and thar in the Mt. Cook area. The chairman said that there were very few chamois and thar in the Society’s district. The Hermitage was not in their territory. A letter was received from the Department of Internal Affairs requesting the Society to consider the question of an open game season, and to submit at an early date, such recommendations as the Society desired to make.

The secretary of the Waimate Association advised that he had decided to recommend an open ' season for the months'of May and June. Mr J. Macdonald said that at periods of the year pukaki were considered to be destructive. One farmer who had suffered from the attentions of pukaki to a stack of oats, had immediately laid poisoned grain. He was of opinion that, like the paradise duck, a week’s open season should embrace pukaki. The chairman said they could not allow pukaki to be shot at just because those who were allowed the right to apply for a license to destroy them were too lazy to make the necessary application. It was decided that the Society recommend an open season for two months, pukaki ,to be included for the first week.

A letter was received from the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, stating that all the chukor imported by them had been liberated. If the South Canterbury Society required chukor, they would be pleased -to cable their agent in India to endeavour to procure 25 brace of the birds.

The chairman said the order had been given. The birds would be landed for about 30/- a brace.

The secretary of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies’ Association wrote that a conference of delegates from all New Zealand Societies was being arranged in March, to consider the question of deer control. The president of the Society advised that prior to the conference it would be an advantage if each Society could forward any views it might have to the Internal Affairs Department, so that consideration could be given them. The secretary reported that he had wired a reply to the effect that there had been five convictions secured respecting native game during the past five years. There were not mprny opossums arid practically no protected birds as defined by the Act in this district. There were very few deer. Mr R. L. 'Shillito made application for permission to erect a hut at Rangitata.—Granted, subject to approval of Reserves Committee. The secretary of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies’ Association requested information from South Canterbury in order to reply to articles which had appeared in newspapers in various parts of the Dominion, written on the question of divided control of wild life, and generally against the Societies. % QUINNAT IN OPIHI. The chairman said that some discussion had taken \ place recently in regard to the prevalence of quinnat salmon in the Opihi. In view of the approaching salmon run, the Society would have to consider the advisableness of preventing the fish from going up the river to spawn. They could possibly set nets and thus prevent many of the big fish from making up river. Mr Grant said the position was a difficult one to overcome. If the Society decided on netting the fish, a man would have to be in attendance to supervise operations. Mr Young said that trout would have to be protected in some way. One man had informed him recently that he had hooked a salmon which had taken tackle and all.

The chairman stated that exaggerated reports had been circulated that there were thousands of salmon in the Opihi. These reports were not true, the ranger having estimated the salmon at about 300. There was no doubt, however, that if undisturbed, the salmon would soon increase. The Society could net above the traffic brjdge, but he was n<jt in favour of going below that point. Mr J. Macdonald was of opinion that the chief trouble lay in the tendency of salmon to usurp the spawning beds of trout. The salmon were not in large quantities, and he did not think a great amount of damage was being done. The chairman said that a big proportion of the salmon could be effectively trapped. It was decided to confer with the hew ranger with a view to deciding a course of action* NEW RANGER APPOINTED. Sixty-three applications from all over New Zealand were received for the position of curator-ranger to the Society.. It was decided on the motion of Mr Aspinall, seconded by Mr Stevens, that Mr F. W. Pellett, of Dunedin, be appointed. The new ranger, who is ranger to the Otago Society, has been with that body for sixteen years, and is said to be fully experienced in fish culture and ranging work. TREASURER’S REPORT. The treasurer reported that there was a bank balance of £4l 12s Sd and a credit in the P. 0.5.8. of £lOl6 8s lOd. Receipts during the month, including bank balance, £65 11s, and licenses and hut rents, £7B 10s, amounted to £144 Is. Accounts totalled £lO2 8s 3d, principal in which were wages £9l. Accounts amounting to £59 2s Id were passed for payment. In reply to a question by Mr Aspinall, the secretary stated that last season the running expenses and repairs to the ranger’s motor, cycle totalled £77 12s 6d. RANGER’S REPORT. The ranger’s report stated that during the past two months fishing in the district had been very poor, owing to the condition of the rivers. A succession of floods kept them high nearly all the time, and in an impossible j condition for fishing. There were some good fish landed in the lower waters of the Opihi. The best fish, which weighed over 131bs, were caught on live bait. Owing to the weather conditions, fishing in the lakes in the had been only fair. The lock on tl • *

Glenmore Hut had been smashed, but he had been unable to find out who broke it. He put on a new lock, and the hut was now under control. He investigated the supposed shooting of a pheasant at Fairlie, but found nothing to indicate that there was a pheasant shot there. It was discovered that a pheasant had disappeared off a riian’s property about ten or twelve months ago, but as it was not in a coop it could have flown away. The Society prosecuted three men for illegal taking of trout from the Pareora in the Waimate district. There had been no other complaints during the past two months. The report was. adopted.