FISH RESEARCH

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21409, 27 February 1935, Page 7

FISH RESEARCH

. ~ , ■ ■ o- : ~ __j v ,-;,s unaware when I last , h . t ,v original contributor of to vnur paper under the 'Z'Z plume -f GnfU " * who ; f ,. v ,.)v , oin.octcd Willi the re"r" " ~, tiirn orkt had handed m-rn civ pl'in.c to one of his ' a The h:;i . that is Mill so easily rf.,; d iri'"H!-irk <;n;.iV writings can f ' \, r <. iv ivndilv accounted for. ' r "" rt VrM-cn'- "! hi:-. claim for mipar--S,y muM.' w- ihtnk. be largely disCO ti iK %n<-< "Mlack Gnat" to inabout any definite benefits ,u'e aiiilcv \n:>- received Jor the na ; p ; that he ha- provided has very y t .,» bevonri his ability to fV ;?noh-h and has been studiously I#Tracked, and in it- place we have fin to listen to the reiteration ol foitud" b" other people. Foi the iond would a:k "Black Gnat' he t»H us of anv work that has accomplished by fresh water fish ,Slreh in New Z-aland (other than £ taanin'-; of troui described by a rvMchlirch anyle.o that has been ot P value to the anpler. Wc shall be . t0 „ ..leased 'o listen if he can ". Jk - havt* r.o bias against fV;iw-h. an y i,er-<fi-at fedinu nyamsl any one ot those h connexion nn'h i«: 0:1 the contrary. of tho-e that are connected with /ch an personal friends of

•■3ia">'. "-U.tomcnl that it be .-"i;rpnsin" to anyt.'io that had ; (he rcpot-T of the conference held \ W( Ihnfton t" have fish roveaich work attacked. ;md his other, that it. (: supcrfluou.- to argue furthei the f o r the vahie of research in' view rf'the report of the special committee • *&» va- ' ; ct 'JP '<> tho mat " vr'is forcisn and diametrically opf,«ed to fhe whole meaning of the nord re-seti'-h. Research should moan a thorough fd marching investigation from all into unv stiirict attacked, and '"A as "Black"Gnat" seems willing to li-' to accent a view from one side cr'v If the (-(.inclusions arrived nt ''mi Ihc work of research cannot ftaiid up to <-r't u-i-rr.. then the founr'a»,nv; >■ hicii tiio'-e conclusion* •<?*(»'V'-'ert -iT'-lv nol on --oi.ind jr'-.jTir A peHisa! ''' :!;r names o! tlu> I'cm-j-:t;ec report i c of so much ■Value in the opinion of "Black Gnat ' mows i' to be comprised almost en-♦<-elv of doctors and solicitors. together with Mr llcfTord and Professor ?ereival. of the research staff. The presence « ,f these two latter sent'er.rn no doubt would have a decided influence on the report brought down, and one cannot help asking would impartiality be entirely non-existent. Now. wniJy not disputing the earnestness or tood intentions and well-mean-ing of the above-mentioned doctors £nd .solicitors. we may question whether the"? :ientlemen, owing to the | <cvironment in which their oceupa- ' oi:s continually keep them, are the fitted to express an opinion on "he value or otherwise of fish re>tarrh Th»ir work keeps thtin con"'".uolJy ?nut un in the city, and it is I in tt-.f■ ciiy thai an insight into and :•'-wlcjc;- r.f fish .nd run- waters are ;v :«-a final" is prepared to •v,whole- -hook. Maker, and all rcpurt of this committee and to '.cy to anyone holding contrary views right to express an opinion, as he .:y; the doinf :-o would be merely "esurnptior He here again shows failure t«. understand the true f>f the word research.

And now v.'e will give a little at'er.Uon to thi:> much-lauded and soiled valuable report of Mr Hobbs. Accord ins to the statements contained •r-wein. it was found that in some 'a*s mere than 90 per cent, of the '/.a examined wore fertile, but. the report was completely silent as to the ;araber of ova found in the different examined. Fortunately, 1 was fbk- to obtain a copy and noticed this "mission immediately. On the way -cme from the conference I asked Professor Percival that question. He -formed me from 100 to 300. Now we "*'!il give them the benefit of the larger 'umber and deal with the matter on taat basis. There is no mention in 'he report as to whether the ova were collected from a redd made by a onePMi\d fish or by one of a larger size 'and in research we must be thorMost people with any know- ! 'Mge of fish know that the trout vields 1 1000 ova for every round weight of the fish. Now, if we thai the redd from which These W ova H-er'' r>,Vortrrl was made by j.rvo.pound female, the question may * what hec-nnK- nf Ihe other '■TO ova tlia? this fisli should have Pnxktced 1 It may be significant that report is .silent on these import»"t matters. i knowledge has the comthe death rate that may ln the 300 ova before hatching v? 8 * Ptece or between the period of Prffflßg and that age at which we our hatchery-reared fry? This ev ? : rema in a matter of guessIlf. wnere spawning under natural r™?KK>ns is concerned owing to the lying conditions that may prevail—-,-.Y^ s, _" rou ghts. etc.. combined with ►lf„ ra * > ' a 8 < - <i of natural enemies. Fish wS . Wi!! never m our mountain s>", I lts °f Xf\\- Zealand be able to be Tf i' J fr war 'l wit It the same amount of t+J ■' as research in quarters • 1 " tt,r ' factors <'on"r'" ' ;i,M " ,r ' uii aDl ; har l f' h b-eo dealt with - or* ollr „ r . W( , wt)l a , low r r 2i^ r J cr - n t- mortality <M>- Main was V' ei: '" an!. r ;> !)5 per cent. : Ora»ii' Or L[ ron! r "Hceted from the i s x'• T " : -*' would give us 4500 fry ac '' liberated mii the safest bo foundt against the 300 i ,r '"Wrk' {nDV '" deaths) dealt with in Th j SS s rr -P'-"-<. mJ 6 f r aSa ,ha ! ! report is com*;oni > s ."'complete, and it is '•'ise v w Unr <?liable and worthless to ''•Oflr a ? re no, content with guess's t,ie kind of valu"■fnriittcc I' 1 ' ] " ' a "ded by special '-'■■Z ii;* : "Black Gnat" push.- | .^' ej Kht behind, and that the j •sk rm E VP posec! *'■' swallow and ?!f P* Of m!IS,-°uV 1 S ,-°uV Anri is also the I'-Hot plvi* e data on which Pro- '! a ' w «uld turn all our iiA sr '"°r si,ede emkft. H rc rninfl ' Black Gnat" ti'afu. p ,tlKjr '"' carry no weight :; 'disued with ,:- n 'ee Itiei J, , Ih|v special com- ' 3 * niaht fiv, V v "i-' l opr.rt on f, "C¥ r, I ' l e fir: t day's eonfer- /'*«»! reS?*? l!l " (i " ' nia 11 <jr intro'*tr,rp nnrl was put through % 'n.pTmTr,'' f V"; realised 'aitiuv-' dmiiit if mure than it y"l. ''''' in :i■: discussion, nuA'tL..' ( .' :i """ " l ' ri i rr "'. a *''* at ;,]} '' "■ 11 ! <' d<'!f;.;,io-- not VOt?'3ck ' t ?, r v it :i (.'lease •'-U!3 ' Dv J twist rny coat, he ''telle jit r «i v at loas ' able to re'Vl!l " Black Gnat" ad".r« ,L the instances: nf valui keen imS 2 !- Ile <!,airns this body fo other societies fos ♦if ranted) - and 1 will inCamL^ e val of the advice <lrtiher^ V reccivod from its Walor. Tf°P S , .°7 a vi?it P aid J ' h ' gh time that the tm anglers' oninion was "<-' h »"«• McDonald: C^'S°&cSr bury A ™"' ' 26, J 935.