SALMON IN NEW ZEALAND.

Shannon News, 16 March 1923, Page 3

SALMON IN NEW ZEALAND.

MARKETING PROPOSAL. IMPORTANT ' EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME. . . Quinnat salmon now exist in very large numbers oft' the coast of Otago aiid Canterbury, and it is the. intention of the Marine Department to make air effort to have them ■caught and marketed during the year, commencing from now to the end of April and, after the end of the close season commcftcl ag again ' fishing for marlcel after tin, Ist October next.

“This season the fishing- and marke;. ing will be more or less experimental/' stated the Minister for Marine (Hoy. J. G. Anderson) to a representative c; the Post. “A good deal of prospecting for. the schools of salmon at sea will have to be done, and the Depart inert intends hiring a suitable vessel, either at Timaru or, Oamaru, and, fitting her up with trolling gear similar to that used in fishing foi; salmon off tiie F;. cific Coast and British Columbia.

“The Govcrnftnent has also deci'chd to encourage sea fishermen to fish fey salmon, ,qnd they will be allowed to catch and market them during the piesent open season, from. October I.lc April 30. That is, fishermen may catch and market salmon, /without a . saline::

license, commencing as soon as the regulations arc gazetted this month, on to the 30th April. From May 1 to September is a dose seasoii, and before the next opens the Department will be able, based on the results obtained v . from this season’s experiments, to es-

tablish a system for taking and-market j ing salmop, which will be satisfactory to all parties concerned. It has been I decided to allow anglers who hold a trout license to take salmon, and if not required for .their own use to sell them, during the present open season, and it is also the intention to do some experimental netting inside the mouths of some of the salmon rivers. This work will be carried out under the supervision of* one of the Department’s officers, and, if desired, a representative of any one of the acclimatisation societies can also be present. At any rate, the acclimatisation societies and anglers can rest assured tfiat the.work will be done in such a way as nol, to interfere with or injure trout and the I interests'' of trout fishing. As already stated, for the first year the work both of catching and marketing will be purely experimental. If it is found that salmon can be caught in quantities, (lie Department will be in a position to have the catching and marketingput on a proper working footing the following season.

“All fish caught by the Department will be sold by public auction at the port at which they are landed from the catching, vessel.”, ■ •’’g