NATIVE BIRDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 22

NATIVE BIRDS.

MOVE TO PROTECT.

ACTION BY GOVERNMENT,

WAR DECLARED ON WEASELS.

Bird lovers in the Dominion will be /ratified at a notice which appears in the "Gazette" that the previous protection on cats, stoats, weasels and the. mongoose has been removed. The protection has been removed, said the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, this morning, because the weasel and the stoat instead of preying on the rabbit, for which reason they were iirst protected, have become a menace to native bird life.

Some years ago the Government of the day, seeking every means of ridding farm lands of New Zealand of the destructive rabbit, which ruined many of the country's pastures, imposed, under the Rabbit Nuisance Act, protection on cats, stoats, weasels, ferrets and mongoose. These animals played at the outset a not. unimportant part in the destruction of rabbits.

Recently, however, stoats and weasels in particular showed a preference for the killing and eating of valuable game and native birds, among which they have wrought great havoc. Acclimatisation societies, kindred bodies and citizens have been over a number of years energetic in their advocacy of the removal of the protection on the enemies of the birds. They have succeeded in impressing the Government as to the extent of the menace of stoats and weasels, bringing before members of the Cabinet pi-oof <?f the destructiveness of the animals to the kird-life of the Dominion. The Government has by a recent Order-in-Coun-cil, published in the Gazette, removed all previous protection on cats, stoats, weasels and mongoose. To-day anybody can kill any of the species named. Reason for Protection Removal. Mentioning to-day the "Gazette" notice, the Minister, whose Department administers the Animals Protection and Game Act,, said that the decision to reaiove protection on stoats, weasels and ferrets was made as a result of a conference held in Wellington during last session between the Minister of Agrienlture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, executive officers, himself (Mr. Parry) and Departmental officers.

"Undoubtedly the weasel and tlie ( stoat," stated Mr. Parry; "have, largely dropped the rabbit as a food iit 4 favour of our valued native birds. Before taking office as Minister of Internal Affairs, and since that time, I have had proof of how great is the menace to bird life of the stoat and weasel.

"From almost everywhere have come reports of the destructive habits of the stoat and the weasel toward our birds. I feel that the many thousands of lovers of our birds will be" glad to learn of the action now taken. The stoat and the weasel may have done in other davs some good work with the rabbits, but there is no doubt that whatever taste they had for the 'bunny' has Ion"- ago -been assuaged—and it is now the bird for them."