MENACE TO TROUT

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1927, Page 1

MENACE TO TROUT

SAWDUST IN STREAMS

(“ Auckland Weekly News.”)

Cases of interest to both sawmillers and anglers were beard in the -Magistrate’s Court at Tauniarunui before Mr Plntts, S.M., when Captain G. F. Vcrex, chief ranger of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. proceeded igainst the Hayward Timber Company ind Brain Brothers and Aldridge, for the offence of allowing sawdust from their mills to flow into streams in which trout exist.

The defendants pleaded guilty and each was lined fls and costs. Messrs Mill-sack and Bate, of Taumnrunui, who

appeared for the defendants, pleaded extenuating eireumstances and that ike nuisance had now been, remedied. M.r King, of Messrs Jackson and Bussell, pointed out on behalf of the society that the remedying of the nuisance after prosecution was not sufficient. There had been other prosecutions in the district and the sawmillers were well aware of the regulations. He drew the magistrate’s attention to the far-reaching and devastating effect of this kind of pollution if allowed to continue, by pointing out that all the streams which were polluted wore tributaries of the Wanganui River which, as the result of the systematic liberation of trout fry. now provides excellent fishing.

During recent years the Auckland society had liberated in this river alone about' 150,000 trout fry annually besides many thousands more in its tributaries. Apart from this valuable work, which had been undertaken to help to make New Zealand attractive to overseas fishermen and provide sport for local anglers, the Government had established an Atlantic salmon hatchcry at Kakahi, from which it liberated about three-quarters of a million salmon try annually. Sawdust in the streams destroyed xhe ®di both in a direct and indirect manner. In the first place, as the sawdust was being carried doun tlic stream in suspension it lodged in the

gills of the fish, which thereafter gradually nir.ed away and died. In the second place, the bed of the stieam became coated with water-logged sawdust. which decayed and set up a fungous growth which not only destroyed the ova of the fish, hut prevented the hatching, tipoti the bed of the stream. c f the larvae of the numerous flies and insects which were the main and essential part of the trout’s food. Mr King further pointed out that, in view of this destructive action of sawdust. both the society and the Government viewed with considerable alarm the amount of pollution which was