HELPING SPORTSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 943, 9 April 1930, Page 7

HELPING SPORTSMEN

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY’S WORK FOR YEAR % TROUT STREAMS REPLENISHED The Auckland Acclimatisation So- J ciety has purchased 1,419 pheasants for i liberation during the year. This is mentioned in the annual re- | port of the society, which is to be pro- j sented at the annual meeting on April j Out of the total number of pheas- J ants purchased, 1.304 have been delivered, 85 are almost ready to go out I and 30 cock birds will bo delivered in j July. About 75,000 acres have been ! closed against shooting for at least one • year, and all the pheasants liberated have been in the closed areas. Only 112 mallard ducks have been purchased owing to the fact that it would be too costly to stock the large area of the society’s district. These | have been liberated in distant swamps. In place of the Virginian quail, which the society endeavoured to import from Norfolk Island, but which were reported to be unobtainable, a shipment of 350 Indian quail and 28 chukor were forwarded by Mr. A. R. Hughes, of Bombay. The council of the society is now completing arrangements for a further shipment of 400 chukor. Californian quail ’are reported by the society to be on the increase throughout the province, especially in the Taumarunui district. A total of £ 208 has been received from the sale of licences to opossum trappers, and from the royalty on skins taken in the district. Licences were issued to 43 trappers and a large number of permits were issued to landowners. The Government has so far refused to sanction the liberation of opossums in specially selected areas, though the Auckland Society, together with other acclimatisation societies, is anxious to do so. FEW DEER LICENCES Only 11 licences have so far been issued for red deer, though the season opened on March 3 5 and closes on May 15. ThQ policy of the society will be to co-operate with the Government for intensive culling, if not for total destruction, of the red deer, which cannot be kept within control and are a menace to forests and farms. In various streams and rivers 250,000 rainbow fry were liberated and 430,000 ova planted. No brown trout were purchased, as better results were considered to follow the liberation of rainbow only. The society has tried to procure rainbow' trout ova from California. The original ova in the Dominion came from California, and within a few years the trout attained weight exceeding that of similar fish in their native habitat. The society has been advised that 100,000 ova from the non-migratory farm of rainbow trout from the inland waters of California will be shipped either this month or the next. A tributary of the Waihou, probably the Oraka, will receive 40,000 fry; 50,000 will go into the Mangatangi; 5,000 into the Waiwawa, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula; and 200 will be placed in the Tokeroa holding pond for release as yearlings. Two rangers have been appointed for the society’s district, while honorary rangers have given assistance. Convictions were obtained in the majority of prosecutions, which have increased. Under the Animals’ Protection and Games Act there were IS convictions and fines, and six under the Fisheries Act. The total fines amounted to £9l 10s. The financial statement shows that the revenue, £3,427, exceeded the expenditure by £221. In addition to temporary deposits of £1,200, there is a credit balance of £ 389 at the bank, while £7O is owing to breeders for pheasants ordered but not yet delivered. . , According to the rules of the society Messrs. C. A. "Whitney, H. A. Chatfield, PI. C. Savage, T. W. J. Johnson, and W. G. Wohlmann retire from the'council, but are eligible for re-elec-tion. _