ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1973, 21 June 1880, Page 3

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Acclimatisation Society was held at the Commercial Hotel on Friday afternoon for the purpose of considering and, if advisable, suggesting modifications in the new Fisheries Bill now before Parliament. There were present: Sir Cracroft Wilson (in the chair), the Hon. J. T. Peacock, Messrs Marshman, Webb, Bridges, Cogan, Dr. Frankish, Stoddart, and Farr, secretary. It appeared that the secretary had written to the Government pointing out certain desirable essentials which woro not provided for in the Act of 1867, and, by way of reply, a copy of the new Fisheries Bill, which is a consolidatory measure repealing former Acts, was forwarded to him. A debate, criticising in detail the provisions of thiß proposed substitute, took place at the meeting, and in some ways it was agread to be insufficient, whilst other clauses were voted to be repugnant. One clause directed that the revenues of all Acclimatisation Societies should go to the Government exchequer, and this, it was contended, would kill tho Southern societies, as those—more especially of Canterbury and Otago—had expended large sums of money in developing what they had fostered, and wore the revenue taken away from them they would not be able to continue what they had inaugurated. I 1; was also deemed preferable, for the more eaßy practical working of the societies, that the chairmen should be made inspectors of fisheries in place of Commissioners of Crown Lands, as is now the case. It was declared necessary that the using of nets by fishermsn at the mouths of estuaries and rivers should be subject to more stringent regulations, and a further recommendation waß that salt water fisheries should be kept apart from others within the jurisdiction of Acclimatisation Societies. These were the main points, which seemed to meet with approval, and to show that they had the sympathy of Otago, the secretary read the following telegram, received from the Dunedin Society—" A special meeting of the Society yesterday condemned the Fisheries Bill as ruinous to this and similar societies, and '.that members of both Houses be asked to incorporate the Salmon and Trout Act to secure to societies their present revenues." It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Bridges, seconded by Dr. Frankish—- " That in the opinion of this Society the machinery for carrying out the provisions of the now Act is quite unsuited for the purposes of salmon and trout preservation, &c, which has hitherto been satisfactorily performed by the Acclimatisation Societies, and clause 53 will deprive this Society of one of its principal sources of revenue without conferring any corresponding benefit." It was further resolved that the secretary (Mr Farr) be sent as a delegate to Wellington to explain and urge the wishes of the society. On the motion of Mr Bridges, it was agreed municate with other Acclimatisation Societies, suggesting that mutual arrangements be made by which tho holder of a fishing license from the Acclimatisation Society of one district vißiting any other district may obtain a temporary license from the society of that other district without fee." The secretary of the Auckland Society wrote, asking if he could be supplied with five or six thousand of trout ova. It was resolved to let the Auckland Society have 5000 trout ova on their paying expenses incidental to obtaining the same. Mr J. M. Barker, of Waihi, was granted permission to shoot hares on hiß estate, as he complained of their being a nuisance. The meeting then adjourned.