TROUT TAGGING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 380, 15 November 1932, Page 4

TROUT TAGGING

method employed 1! ROTORUA TO AV0ID • CRUELTY SECURING FISH DAT1 Although the Departmentoflr Affairs has carried ont taggi: rangements at Taupo since 1928, ing has been done in the Ttotori trict until last week when offie the Department tagged 100 M Fairy Springs and Te Ngae st These fish varied in weight lilbs to 61bs and at the time t was afiixed, particulars as to? condition and length' were tai the fisheries officers. Anglersl tagged fish at any -future datea: ed to f orward the same detailsi dition, length, etc., together iri numher of the tag, to' the office department in Rotorua, wheni cords will provide an interesti dication of the development : fish. \ i Tagging is a practice genera! lowed hy acclimatisation auth for the purpose of obtaining dab the migratory hahits and groi fish. It has proved a most n mean^ of obtaining reliahle irJ tion. Method of l Tagging In view of the controversy wii been aroused in the Kdng C] through allegations of cruelty type of tagj used in that £ "Morning Post" representafei terday ohtained information fc Conservator of Eish and Gaw A. Kean) as to the methods eE by the department.i Mr.*Kean explained that hisi used an entirely different tagj entirely different method of 6 from that employed in the King try. In that district, a rectangii tag was used, which apparerf afiixed in the rays of th& tal the peduncle or fleshy muscle which' the tail rays radiate. ! stated that irritation was set these tags and that the fisi subjected to considerahle pait they were liberated with the! ment. This Mr. Kean considerei he caused hy the fact that the the fish is its propelling medi> is therefore almost always '■ tion. The constaht sideway of the tail would drag the h thus serve to enlarge the F made when it was afiixed. h instances also, it had been fot! the rectangular tag slipped rifi the fish's tail forming a ce barid ronnd the peduncle. The department did not s this type of tag suitable ande ed a different method. The is was a small metal slip attacfo cireular clip. This elip is attai the dorsal or back fin of ® where it is not subjected h ment and therefore ddes noti the fish. The clip was attaf the ray of the fin and tfi« process of attaching it causeii nothing more than a slight perience had shown that this i tag did not affect the fish to81 and did not become detache^ Details Required Each tag is numbered and1 the number is entered the the fish at the time the tag' fixed. Usually the fish are ® tured again for some conl time and when the tag is ® with the details of the fish's! etc., the record is compkj® many cases fish are caughtr$ the water from which they^ en when the tag was afExei this manner the record pro" in dication of the migratory * the trout. The details.required by.th® ment to complete the recoi" Weight, length from nose-tif centre of the taily spawning ^ and general condition, toge® the date of taking the fish8' i place where it was caught.