H—22

(2) Fisheries Conservation (a) Hatchery Operations. —Ova were recovered and laid down in the two main hatcheries for " eyeing " or complete incubation as under : No. 1 (Ngongotaha) Hatchery (Rotorua Area) : 4,289,000 No. 2 (Tongariro) Hatchery (Taupo Area) : 6,910,000. Of the above ova, 3,665,000 were sold to acclimatization societies, 2,887,000 were despatched to the Department's Southern Lakes district, and 350,000 to No. 3 (Tuai) Hatchery. Fry were liberated in the district as under :

(b) Trout-food. —There is a marked increase of smelt (Retropinna lacustris) in the waters in which they have been introduced. (3) Vermin Control The table hereunder shows the numbers of various species on which bounties were paid under the scheme operated by the North Island Vermin Control Council and those destroyed by officers of the Department :

(4) Game Farm The necessity for limiting the consumption of foods suitable as fowl-feed was again in evidence during the year, and this was a factor in the rearing of game birds. Operations were again continued on a reduced scale and will result in the liberation of 1,000 pheasants and 135 ducks. (5) Rallying All parts of the district were regularly patrolled by the departmental Rangers. Breaches of the two conservation Acts administered in the district in the cases for which prosecutions were conducted resulted as follows :

12

Waters. Hatchery. Rainbow. Brown. Totals. Rotorua area Taupo area Taupo area Waikaremoana No. 1 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 1,589,000 670,000 1,353,000 350,000 145,000 510,000 1,734,000 1,180,000 1,353,000 350,000 Totals .. 3,962,000 655,000 4,617,000

— Shags. Hawks. Stoats and Weasels. Bounties paid Departmental officers 627 291 240 18 41 9

Act. Number of Prosecutions. Amount of Fines. £ s. d. Animals Protection and Game Act, 1921-22 4 17 0 0 Fisheries Act, 1908, Part II .. 26 94 10 0