ACCLIMATISATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 42, 25 June 1913, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION.

THE PAST SEASON'S WORK

PREVALENCE OF POACHING

The following report is to be piethe annual meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, n b«. held en Friday evening:— We have the honor to submit the annual report and balanee-shec'. covering the operations the Society foi the past year., Your Society is in a sound financial as the bal-ance-sheet shows. During the year, your Committee procured aid released, after last year's shooting season, a consignment of pheasants from P?raparaumu. The birds wero in fine condition when distributed throughout the district, but we regrat to have to report that in some cases the pheasants were molested by perso.is win could not by any stretch of imagination bo called sportsmen. rjufortti nately, owing to the. reluctaace o' witnesses of the molestation of birds to come forward and give evidence, our Society was not able to secure a conviction,, ~, In the case, of the Jit Egmont reserve, it is common knon ledge that poaching is rifo in that locality; and if the gamb and naiiv\ birds in the.reserve are to receive j,ro ; to prevent them from beinp entirely ..shot, out drastic steps wil have to be taken. The thanks of thf Society are due to Mr A. W. Budge for thej care and attention given to tlv. pheasants while in his care prior, tr being released. We regret to hn'-e to report that the distribution of trou' fry was not "as successful as could &< wished. Owing to dealing with a much larger number than usual, co'iv bined with a scarcity of proper food and the water becoming brackish v number of the fish died. To over come the difficulty for the Coming year, it is proposed to deal with the ova in two lots of fifty thousand each one lot being hatched out and liberat-

ed Lefoie the other lot is dealt with. For the purpose of a better water supply, your Committee recommend tb.it provision bu made for augmenting the present supply-per medium of a ram from the- Gentle Annie stream. As with the birds, opaching is prevalent among fish; and if thia state of things is continued, your Society will to seriously consider whether, thoy will continue, to stock the streams. At-the annual conference of Acclimatisation Societites held in Wellington last year, the President represented your Society and reported that many matters of interest to sportsmen were dealt with. The date of the next conference has not yet been definitely fixed. Your Committe wish to place on record their appreciation of the careful attention given by the Society's curator to the fish placed in her charge* In conclusion, your Committee wish- to .thank all members who kindly gave their services during the year.