FISH CULTURE IN OTAGO.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5264, 6 February 1878, Page 3

FISH CULTURE IN OTAGO.

At a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, held at Dunedin on the 29th January, the secretary in his report gave the following interesting account of what had been m Otago in the matter of fish culture : In July, 1876, the curator, Mr. Deans, went to Tasmania to endeavor to get some ova from the aalmo salar and salmo trutta. He found it, however, impossible to obtain any salmon ova, as the Derwent was in high flood during the whole period of Ids 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 about 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 about a fortnight about 15,000 had hatched out; the remainder of the eggs all died. Of these 13,000 were liberated during the present month of January in the Kakanui River by Hr. Deans, the council, after some consideration, having decided that river to be the most suitable on the East Coast. The remaining 2000 were deformed when hatched, and all soon died. The council is glad to report that these young salmon, which are 21 inches long, are strong and healthv, and hope that the experiment may be a success. At the same time there is a decided opinion among the members of council th->t the British fish is preferable. Beside what has 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 86 young British salmon (part of Oberon shipment). These fish' Mr. Howard reported at the time to be 7 inches 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 2 inches long, and appeared strong and" vigorous. Young salmon sinolts have been reported to have been seen subsequently in the lower part of 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 turmd out there will thrive and multiply. About the same time (October, 1876), 18,003 American salmon par were liberated in the upper waters of the Oreti or New River, and a box of ova of the same fish was sent to the WaUacetmvn 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 brown trout. The se i trout ova all died. The society is aware that *e» trout have been many times caught in fishermen’s nets on the coast, particularly within < >tago harbor, but as yet no reliable instance has been established of. the capture of this fish m any stream or river. There were originally about 100 young sea trout turned out into Shag River in 1871, by-Mr. Young, of Palmerston. Also Dr. Menziea reports that in 1876 there were 850 liberated in the Oreti, and 250 in the Wyndham, but it appears there is some d 'Ubt as to whether these were hot crossed with brown trout. In .March, 1877, this society secured for breeding purposes two sea trout from fishermen. They were confined in an enclosed portion of Pelichet Bay, but un fortunately both died, and we have not been able to get any more since then: It is to be hoped we will be more successful in the future as regards this very excellent fish, which ranks next the salmon in everyway. «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 ridds in Lovell's Creek. In 1877 about 40,000 ova were goi during the breeding sea-on from the Water-ot-Leith. 0f these 11,170 and 6250 were sent to different parts of New Zealand in 1876 and 1877 respectively ; also, 17,u00 and 31.000 were hatched out in these respective years ; while the actual numbers 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 fish have also been turned out. Of 40 taken from the Leith weighing from one to six pound', 20 were put into the Waitati, and 20 into the Silverstream ; also, 80 from Fulton’s Creek were nut into Silverstream, all in 1876 ; while in 1877 Mr. Deans liberated 37 in the Puerua, Varying in weight from one to three pounds.