H—ls

There is urgent need for an overhaul of all these regulations. It is considered, however, that first there could very usefully be a change in the system of making them, At present even an unimportant district regulation altering, say, the amount of lead permitted when bait fishing in a particular part of one stream would have to be made by the fairly elaborate and expensive Order-in-Council procedure. It is considered that, while general regulations should continue to be made in this manner, authority might usefully be given to the Minister of Marine to approve all purely local restrictive variations, if recommended by the local acclimatization society council. An amendment to this effect of Part II of the Fisheries Act, 1908, has been drafted and, if passed, will greatly facilitate the reduction of the existing chaotic series of regulations to a briefer .and more intelligible body of rules. Amending Regulations.—Two significant amendments have been made to general •regulations. One restricts the right of acclimatization societies of releasing fish in their districts to a right of liberating, without special consent, only species already established in particular waters. The aim is to ensure full consultation with specialist officers of the Department before the present distribution of species already established is modified or before any additional species can be introduced. The second change involves a prohibition of unauthorized releases of any forms of aquatic life into rivers or lakes. The purpose is to ensure, as far as possible, that forms of life harmful to fish or to other kinds of animals are not released. Pollution.—The fact-finding survey of the incidence of pollution of rivers and coastal waters and the extent to which it encroaches on fisheries and other aspects of public interest is approaching completion. The full-time services of a Fishery Officer were made available to co-operate with an inter-departmental committee on this matter. The study has already brought to light many facts of economic significance. Present indications are that much pollution arises from the draining into rivers and coastal waters of materials which could profitably be otherwise used. Eel Fisheries.—Commercial exploitation of eels has continued on a small scale in .Southland, Otago, and at Lake Ellesmere in Canterbury. In Southland the work has been actively supported by the local acclimatization society. In some parts, especially in the North Island, there is a possibility of eel-control measures, taken in the interests of trout fisheries by acclimatization societies, conflicting a little with the interests of the Maori people. Commonly it is the case that eel stocks, which in earlier times were regularly exploited by Maoris, have been much neglected .and have in consequence increased, as a wider choice of food has lessened the Maoris' dependence on eels. The position, however, is being carefully watched, and, where necessary, the Department will intervene to ensure that the interests of the Maori people in particular waters still fished by them are not adversely affected. Advisory and Technical Services. —The basic need of councils of acclimatization societies for a fairly comprehensive reference work on fisheries management should be met at an early date by publication of " Trout Fisheries of New Zealand : their Development and Management," which is now in the printer's hands. A sufficient quantity of more cheaply bound copies of the work are being printed for release at a price which will ensure the availability of this work to all anglers. The general advisory services which the branch offers are being used increasingly by societies. Many councils realize that they comprise amateurs and that they can best serve local interests by seeking professional assistance from Fisheries Officers on appropriate matters. Such services, which are free of cost to societies, sometimes involve simply preparation of abstracts from works in the Fisheries Library, and in •other cases necessitate extensive field surveys followed by local conferences.

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