Game society part of Raetihi's story

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 468, 12 January 1993, Page 8

Game society part of Raetihi's story

In the early 1860's Acclimatisation Societies were formed to coordinate the introduction of exotic species of wildlife and plants. The then Government assisted the societies by giving them statutory powers to purchase land and build hatcheries and game farms so that the trout, salmon, pheasants, quail and other game could be acclimatised into the New Zealand environment. The aim of the societies was to create an opportunity for all sportsmen and women to pursue

the traditional sporting activities which they enjoyed in their country of origin. The hope was that all New Zealanders could go hunting or fishing regardless of their wealth or station in life, at a reasonable cost. The Waimarino Acclimatisation Society was established by order in council under the Animals Protection Act 1880 on the fifth day of October 1903 by Governor Ranfurly. The first regulations governing fishing for trout were gazetted on 28 September 1903 under the Fisheries

Protection Act 1884 and the licence issued allowed the angler to fish anywhere in New Zealand for a cost of £1 for men and 10/- for women. The Society was managed by a committee of licence holders who under the various Acts were charged with the establishment of river and lake fisheries by the distribution of fry and fingerling rainbow and brown trout and the distribution of the introduced species of wildlife, namely pheasant, various species of water fowl and Califomian quail. Also

the protection of native flora and fauna was part of the society 's mandate. Trout The initial liberation of rainbow trout in the district was in the Karioi streams by a Miss Grant who came to teach at the Karioi school in 1883. From the inception of the Waimarino Acclimatisation Society in 1903 many thousands of rainbow and brown trout fry were liberated in the rivers and streams. The fry were purchased from hatcheries at Rotorua, Masterton, Hawera and in later years Turangi. They

were transported by train, horse and cart, packhorse and Society members backs to the pristine waters of the streams on the Central Plateau. In 1909 ' Inspector Cullen of the Auckland police arranged for 20,000 rainbow fry to be sent to Waimarino, now National Park, which were the first liberated in the Whakapapa river at the 'Tokaanu Crossing* near the Mohuia rapids on State Highway 47. Some of that consignment was liberated into the Piapiatea stream at Raurimu. The mode of

transport was by packhorse in specially adapted kerosene cans, four on each horse. In 1924 the Government established a salmon hatchery in the Waiwatea stream and that year 650,000 smelts (juvenile salmon) were released into the Whakapapa river. The Society built a trout hatchery at Karioi in 1926 just south of the railway station after unsuccessful attempts to raise fry in ponds at Raetihi in the Makotuku stream, flooding of the ponds being the limiting factor. The nett result of all

the effort was that a very good fishery was established in the Society area and catches of 15 trout per day were not uncommon. The Whakapapa river was famous for the large population of very good rainbow trout. One party caught eight fish weighing a total of 641bs in a day and individual anglers were known to catch 200 trout in a season. However the diversion of all the water in the upper section for the Tongariro power development was disastrous and completely ruined the fishery. Continued next week.