SALMON FOR MOTUEKA RIVER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 14 January 1931, Page 9

SALMON FOR MOTUEKA RIVER

NO OVA AVAILABLE The Secretary of the Marine Department has replied as follows to the Nelson lb-ogress League regarding the stocking of the Molueka river with salmon:— "1 am in receipt of your letter of the 6th ultimo, asking what is the present position in regard to the above matter. In reply, 1 have to state that it "as never contemplated that the Motueka River should be stocked wilii Quinnal Salmon, but with Atlantic. "The position is that the Department has been concentrating on the stocking of the Wanganui river with this species of salmon, but, so far as can be ascertained, without successful result. “Somewhere about a year ago, as the result of investigations by the Department’s and the Southland Acclimatisation Society’s Fisheries’ officers, it was realised that the salmon in the VYaiau river system were not making the growth progress that would he ordinarily expected in Atlantic waters. Futhermore, it. appeared that, owing to the locality in which the fry had been liberated from year to year, that is to say, above Lake Le Anau, the iisli had formed what is known as a ‘‘lake habit,” that is to say. Instead of proceeding to sea at a certain age and returning each year for spawning, they had proceeded little iurther than the lake, although some few specimens were found whose condition and appearance indicated that they had gone to sea. ‘‘The general result of the investigations was the conclusion that more intensive stocking of this system would have to be carried out and the fry released in waters below the lake. "An arrangement was therefore entered into between the Department and the society, whereby the society would batch what salmon ova they were able to take, and the Department would divide, on a 50-50 basis, with the society what ova it was able to deal with. "The question of abandoning further stocking of (ho Wanganui river has been considered, but it is felt that the stocking of this river should be continued for a. while longer in the hope that some definite result may accrue; but only half the ova taken by the Department will be released in the Wanganui. The position therefore is that there is no ova available for the Motueka river, and the Chief Inspector of Fisheries considers it will not bo practicable to do anything definite with the Motueka at any rate until 1933.”