FISH CULTURE IN OTAGO.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1221, 1 February 1878, Page 3

FISH CULTURE IN OTAGO.

At the annual meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation. Society, the following interesting description of the progress of fish culture in that part of the colony was given in the committee’s report:— Salmon.—ln July, 1876, the curator, Mr Deans, went to Tasmania to endeavour to get some ova of the Salmo salar and the Salmo truttar. He found it, however, impossible to obtain the salmon ova, as the Derwent was in high flood during the whole period of his visit. In November, 1877, the society received from the Colonial Government a box containing 50,000 American salmon ova. The ova were found on opening the box to be in excellent condition, only 5 per cent, appearing to have gone bad. They were transferred, with as little delay as possible, to the hatching boxes at Opoho, and within a fortnight about 15,000 were hatched out, the remainder of the eggs all died. Of these, 13,000 wore liberated during the present month of January in the Kakanui River by Mr Deans, the Council, after some consideration, having decided that river to be the most suitable on the eastcoast. The remaining 2000 were deformed when hatched, and all soon died. The Council is glad to report that these young salmon, which are 21in. long, are strong and healthy, and hope that the experiment may bo a success. At the same time there is a decided opinion among the members of Council that the British fish is preferable. Besides what has just been stated, it may bo interesting to the Society to know the position of the salmon experiment in Otago. In June, 1875, the Aparima River overflowed and carried away ninety-six young British salmon (part of Oberon shipment). These fish Mr Howard reported at the time to be 7in. long, and to have the distinct silvery small scales. In October, 1876, from 2500 to 3000 British salmon (Durham shipment) were liberated by Mr Howard in the Aparima. These were 2in. long, and appeared strong and vigorous. Young salmon smolts have been reported to have been seen subsequently in the lower part of the above river, which are probably a number of the same fish. As the Aparima is perhaps the most suitable of all Otago rivers for salmon, the council is sanguine that the British salmon turned out there will thrive and multiply. About the same date (October, 1876), 18,000 American salmon par were liberated in the upper waters of the Oreti or Now River, and a box of ova of the same fish was sent to the Wallacetown ponds at the same time as that received lately by this society. Sea Trout, or Salmon Trout. —Mr Deans brought from Tasmania, in July, 1876, 250 ova of the sea trout and 1000 ova got in the ridd which turned out to be of brown trout. The sea trout ova all died. The society is aware that sea trout have been many times caught in the fishermen’s nets on the coast, particularly within Otago harbor, but as yet no reliable instance has been established of the capture of this fish in any stream or river.

Brown Trout. —During the year 1876 about 30,000 trout ova were obtained by Mr Deans from spawning fish taken in the Water of Leith and from ridda in Lovell’s Creek. In 1877 about 40,000 ova were got during the breeding season from the Water of Leith. Of these 11,170 and 6250 were sent to different parts of New Zealand in 1876 and ’77 respectively ; also 17,000 and 30,000 were hatched out in these respective years ; while the actual number of young trout distributed in Otago and the borders of Canterbury were 15,946 in 1876 and 14,231 in 1877. Since January Ist of this year 4830 young trout have been distributed in various streams, and about 500 are at present in the ponds at Opoho. A number of spawning tish have also been turned out. Of 40 taken from the Leith weighing from lib to 61b, 20 were put into the Waitati, and 20 into the Silverstream; also, 80 from Fulton’s Creek were put into Silverstream, all in 1876 ; while in 1877 Mr Deans liberated 37 in the Puerua, varying in weight from lib to 3lb,