THE NATIVE DUCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 148, 25 June 1934, Page 6

THE NATIVE DUCK.

I Members of acclimatisation societies have been complaining of the rapid decline of native game, especially the grey duck. ■ These complaints are prompted, not out of\coneem for the indigenous birds, but for the sake of sportsmen, who find it increasingly difficult to obtain the game. Revenue is also mentioned —the societies are concerned about the money from shooting licenses, which .show* a fallingoff. These considerations carry more weight with the sport-providing societies than any broad principle of the saving of native bird life for its own sake. It is not to be wondered at that the grey duck and other indigenous birds are decreasing in numbers. Every season teiw of. thousands of duck are shot; and the draining of lagoons and swamps diminishes the food supplies of the waterfowl. The birds have never had a chance to increase, except in a few sanctuary lakea, where the Government or private owners—such as Mr. Guthrie Smith, of Tutira—have preserved them.

The people's attitude towards the old ways of bird slaughter is, fortunately, changing. We sometimes see a proud sportsman photographed with his dozens of dead ducks around him, but the average 6hooting man Is content with a smaller bag than in the days when the great Ewamps provided him with unlimited quantities of game. Some sportsmen, too, are beginning to admit that there must be long close seasons if the duck are. to survive. It us just a question whether the time hae not arrived for the absolute protection of all native birds, leaving the sportsmen the imported game, such as swan, which are so numerous that they are depriving the genoiie bird,* of their food supplies. The pukcko and teal as well as the duck would bo the better for the elimination of the grey ewan from their haunts.

My own view is that there is urgent need at anv rate for a long period of protection for duck, at least three years; a close season of five years would be better still. The shooting men could content themselves with the other game for a while. If they would only turn their hunting skill in other directions and attack the plant-eating creatures that arc making havoc in the forests they would be doing something useful. A campaign against those horded of goats in the Mount Egniont bush, for example, might involve harder work for a rifleman than the sport of playing a shotgun on a wild-duck lake, but it would be a capital all-seafions sport and it would bo serving a national purpose. • —J-C