SALMON FOR CANTERBURY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 222, 8 January 1877, Page 2

SALMON FOR CANTERBURY.

We ( are glad to see that the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society are making an energetic effort to establish American salmon in our waters. • They propose to purpose five thousand fish from the Canterbury Society, at a cost of a hundred pounds, and to liberate them in the Opihi, which, with its numerous tributaries, is the most suitable stream in the district for the purpose. They also claim a share, without charge, of the fish now at Christehureh, in consideration of their having been procured with provincial funds. This certainly seems a most reasonable request, and we trust that it will be acceded to without demur. The late Provincial Council voted, in 1874, a sum of three hundred pounds for the introduction of Californian salmon, which being a general Provincial service, was charged equally.to North and South. It was not, however, at first expended, but was carried forward in the Estimates for 1876, and was subsequently devoted to its original purpose. It will be seen, therefore, that

the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society have no right to monopolise the salmon procured with tliis money, since they were obtained at the cost of both divisions of the Province. We'understand'that that society have undertaken to stock not only the northern rivers, but also the Rangitata, the boundary of the two districts. It would, therefore, be unreasonable to expect that they should hand over to the Southern -Society half of the fish in their possession, and we are sure these latter do not expect anything of the kind. All that they ask is that, having made a liberal inroad on their own funds, for the purpose of introducing the salmon, the Northern Society should meet them in a libera 1 spirit as regards supplementing, free of cost, the supply which they have purchased.