ATLANTIC SALMON

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 56, 3 September 1926, Page 12

ATLANTIC SALMON

♦ FUKTHEB INTKODUCTION DISCUSSED. A remit moved by Hawkes Bay at the Acclimatisation Societies' Conference on Wednesday, "That the introduction of salmon in New Zealand rivers be considered," raised some interesting discussion. Mr. Edmundson (Hawkes Bay) thought the Government should take steps to have the temperatures of the other rivers than those in the South, in which there were already salmon, tested, to see if they aro suitable for these fish. Mr. Wilkison (Southland) said that having regard to what the Government was doing at To Anau, and tho small supply of ova obtainable- there, ho thought that New Zealand should get its supplies of Atlantic salmon eggs from Scotland. The Upokorora was only a small stream, and if it were called upon for egg supply there would soon be no salmon at all. Mr. E. C. E. Wiffen (Wellington) said that he had discussed tho introduction of Atlantic salmon with many people who knew something about them, and all were decidedly against their introduction in streams where there were already trout. It must be borne in mind that in Great Britain they did not have the same quality or weight of trout that we had here. In England Atlantic salmon was the great sporting fish. Hero it was different, and if wo stocked our waters with Atlantic salmon it was a case of good-bye to the trout, as the Atlantic salmon became supreme in any water they inhabited. Mr. E. Russell (Southland) said that his society had sent Home, and had got the best experience from members of the Scottish fishery societies. That experience was quite contrary to tho opinion of Mr. Wiffen. These Scottish experts recommended Southland to stock tho Atlantic salmon, despite a series of doubting questions. Mr. C. A. Whitney (Auckland) said that the Wye in Devonshire, at ono time not worth casting a fly on through netting at the mouth, was now one of the finest salmon streams in England. Yet in the Wye salmon, pike, and trout could all be caught in satisfactory numbers. Questioned later at the conference oik this matter. Mr. Hefford, the Marine Department's biologist, said that he knew little about the New Zealand rivers yet. One stream ho had examined with the mover of the motion had a temperature of 70 degrees. Both Mr. L. F. Ayson (Chief Inspector of Fisheries) and himself thought that water too warm. He was of the opinion that the water in Hawkes Bay as a whole was almost too warm for Atlantic salmon. He hoped that all societies would collect data about temperatures, otherwise they would be working in the dark. He did not think that it was impossible to introduce Atlantic salmon. Mr. Ayson had been working on the Wanganui, and he hoped he would make a success of it. Mr. Ayson's policy of concentrating on one stream was, he was sure, a sound one. Already enormous progress had been made in tho Waiau. Salmon would have to be tried in the Waikato before it could be ascertained that that river was suitable for them. He,did not think they would get a run of Atlantic salmon down the Waikato to the sea and back again.