STOCKING OF RIVERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20057, 14 March 1935, Page 13

STOCKING OF RIVERS

AN OAMARU EXPERIMENT A unanimous decision to cease stocking the Kakanui River for this year to enabie the collection of records of age groups of fish was arrived at at the monthly meeting of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society. In a report, Professor Percival said that the Kakanui River had the appearance of offering considerable beds for spawning. Samples examined by himself and Mr A. W. Parrott contained some mature individuals. The number of eggs per fish varied from 300 to 1145, the lower numbers being presumably from fish maturing for the first time. Professor Percival suggested that an experiment be tried this season—namely, to withold stocking during 1935 and continue the collection of records up to and including the season 1937-8, and perhaps 1938-9, during which time the age groups could be determined. If in 1937-8 the 1935 year class was missing or materially reduced, the conclusion could be drawn, other things being equal, that non-stocking was responsible, and that natural regeneration made no significant difference in keeping up the numbers. The president said it was for the council to decide whether stocking in Kakanui should be deferred or not. The society had been spending the bulk of its income on artificial stocking, and if it could be proved that natural stocking was all that was required the society would be saving a good deal of money for other purposes. It was well worth carrying out the experiment for one year, and it would certainly give the Research Committee something to go on. Mr E. C. Beswick pointed out that if the society decided not to stock the Kakanui it would be the first river In the world to take on this experiment. It was unanimously decided, on the motion of Mr Thomas, to cease stocking the Kakanui River for this year only, and to concentrate on stocking the Ahuriri River with rainbow ova. It was agreed to obtain information for procuring 200,000 rainbow ova.