1(3 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



THE QUINNAT SALMON IN NEW ZEALAND. 



By N. B. Scofield. 



During the last twenty or more years, efforts have been made^ to 

 introduce the qiiinnat sahiion of California into the waters of New- 

 Zealand. The method of introduction has been to take the salmon eggs 

 from the hatcheries in this state, at a time when they have developed 

 to such an extent that the eyes are plainly seen through the shell of the 

 egg, but still a month at least before the time they will hatch. They 

 are packed in specially-constructed crates in which they are kept at a 

 low temperature to retard development. In this way they may be 

 shipped to even more distant points than New Zealand. Upon arrival 

 at their destination the eggs are kept in water at one of the fish hatch- 

 eries until they hatch out, and when the young fish are able to care for 

 themselves they are liberated in the stream. 



The following interesting account showing the success of the experi- 

 ments is taken from the report of L. F. Ayson, Chief Inspector of 

 Fisheries, New Zealand, for the year 1916-17: 



"The number of [quinnat] salmon eggs collected last spawning 

 season was 1,106,000; 866,000 were collected at the Hakataramea Station 

 and 240,000 from the Dobson Kiver. An effort was made to net the 

 Ahuriri Kiver for spawning salmon, but on account of the heavy cur- 

 rent and freshets the attempt was not successful. The salmon eggs 

 were disposed of as follows: 25,000 were supplied to the Tasmanian 

 Government, 1,000,000 were sent to the West Coast to stock the Hokitika 

 River, and 81,000 were hatched out at Hakataramea. 



"I estimate that quite four times as many salmon came up the 

 Waitaki last spawning season as during the season of 1915 ; the collec- 

 tion of eggs was more tlian four times the quantity taken the previous 

 year. 



"With regard to the time that these salmon commence to run in from 

 the sea, the first fish this season was taken during the last week of 

 January. A very large run came in during the last two weeks of 

 February, and all through the month of March. In the Waitaki they 

 were taken freely by trout-anglers; the number landed in this way is 

 estimated at about 400 fish, averaging about 16 pounds in weight; and 

 about the same number are reported as having been taken in the Rangi- 

 tata, averaging about 17 pounds. The run of salmon in the Waitaki 

 this spawning season is far ahead of last year's run. From the number 

 of fish which are now running in the Hakataramea, and judging the 

 other three large tributaries by the number of salmon which myself and 

 assistants have seen in the Ohau River, it is no exaggeration to say that 

 the salmon in the Waitaki and its tributaries this season must number 

 tens of thousands. 



"As it has been proved that salmon eggs can now be collected in 

 large quantities, the department has decided on a vigorous policy with 

 regard to stocking other suitable rivers throughout the Dominion. 

 During the past summer a hatchery capable of dealing with half a 

 million eggs was erected on a tributary of the Wairau River (Marl- 

 borough), and a site for a hatchery has been secured at Wanaka Lake, 

 where temporary arrangements will be made this season for the pur- 

 pose of hatching out half a million eggs for the purpose of stocking 



