202 FISHES 



Government should next session bring in a bill to prevent the wholesale 

 netting in that lake for a few years in "order that this noble fish may be 

 thoroughly estabhshed. In tluree years the fish will not only be fully 

 developed, but estabhshed in such numbers as to remove all doubts about 

 the experiment. 



This paragraph is worth reproducing, because it shows the readi- 

 ness with which enthusiasts jumped to conclusions on very meagre 

 evidence, and also advocated a course of action which would deprive 

 the public of a plentiful supply of flounders for some years, and cut 

 off several fishermen from their means of liveHhood. 



In this same year (1887) the Taranaki Society received 810 salmon 

 fry from Christchurch, and liberated them in three streams in the 

 Mt Egmont district. 



In the following year the Waitaki Society liberated 150 smolts, 

 and between 4000 and 5000 (Tay) fry in the Ferry Creek, a tributary 

 of the Waitaki ; and 200 (Tweed) smolts in the Kakanui River. 



In January, 1889, the 'Arawa' left London with 150,000 ova 

 from the River Forth, and reached Wellington early in March. Three 

 boxes with (nominally) 53,300 ova went to Southland, and pelded 

 38,000 good ova. Presumably the fry were liberated in the Aparima, 

 but there is no record. Five boxes with 97,000 ova went to the CUnton 

 Hatchery, and contained about 95 per cent, of good eggs, which 

 hatched out very well. 



In February, 1889, the 'Aorangi' left with 483,000 ova, and 

 reached WelHngton on 24th March and Port Chalmers on the 29th. 

 These were taken from Tweed salmon. Ten boxes with 170,000 ova 

 went to the Opoho Hatchery, ten with 182,000 to Clinton, and seven 

 with 128,000 to Invercargill. Mr Deans estimated that from the 

 two Otago lots about 320,000 young fry were hatched out. Of this 

 number some 250,000 were liberated in the Aparima. 



In January of this same year, Mr J. B. Basstian of Dunrobin 

 reported having seen young salmon in the Aparima. On ist March 

 Ranger Burt saw a number in the same river both in the smolt and 

 parr stage, evidently waiting for the first fresh in the river to go down 

 to the sea. Two good specimens were obtained, and the prohibition 

 of netting in the Riverton estuary, which had been enforced when 

 fry were first put into the river, was renewed. 



In 1 89 1 the Otago Society report that "nothing has been seen of 

 these fish after their return from the sea. The estuary of the Aparima 

 has been netted several times, but without success." 



In 1892 it is stated that: 



periodical trials with the seine-net have been made in the estuary of the 

 Aparima to ascertain whether the salmon liberated in 1887 and 1889 were 



