PROTECTED BIRDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 137, 13 June 1938, Page 13

PROTECTED BIRDS

REPLY TO CRITICS. GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (From Our Correspondent.) s HAMILTON", Sunday. Allegations of discourtesy made against the Department of Internal Affairs at the recent annual mooting of the hoy a I Society of New Zealand were the subject of a statement by the Minister in charge of the Department, the Hon. W. E. Parry, last night. The allegations were made when the society was disiusMiig the Department's refusal to grant permits to any society or institution in New Zealand for the taking of protected birds during the nesting season. '"Legislative power for the protection of native birds of the Dominion was intended by Parliament, and interpreted by the Government, to be rigidly enforced." said Mr. Parry. "Members of the Government are as strong in their desire to protect the native birds and bush as any society or private ciitzen with a great love for the flora and fauna of the country. There arc, however. critics who have characterised the official attitude in the full measure of protection afforded native birds in particular as being higli-handcd and sometimes discourteous." Granting of Permits. After referring to the offer by the standing committee of the Royal Society to place at the disposal of the Department the services of a competent committee to advise and assist in the administration of wild life control and in the issue of permits to take specimens, Mr. Parry said the power to grant permits for the taking of birds subject to the Animals Protection and Game Act was conferred by the Act on the Minister of Internal Affairs. In declining the offer by letter the Department had courteously pointed out that provision of the Act and had stated that it was not aware of any reasons for the setting up of a committee to advise as suggested. "Discussing that reply at the meeting of the Royal Society, Mr. Edgar Stead, according to the Press report, considered it to be not only discourteous but couched in terms offensive to the society." added Mr. Parry. "To that description Professor W. P. Evans added the reference 'a slap in the face.'" No Discourtesy. Mr. Parry said he failed to see any discourtesy or offence in the letter sent to the society. Mr. Stead's remarks at the meeting had centred around the granting of permits to societies, institutions and museums. He had been very careful to omit any reference to the granting 'of permits to private persons or, if he had done so, there was no mention of that in the full newspaper, report. j "Mr. Stead has himself for many years been receiving permits for the taking of birds, mostly sea birds," he continued. "When, however, he began to apply for permits for land birds he was asked to state how far he expected to receive favourable consideration to the granting of further permits. His reply indicated that it was quite impossible for him to say what would be the whole list of applications for permits that he might make m future. As it was evident to the Department that there was nothing offer»g from the point of view of bird conservation, and this is the first consideration from the standpoint of the Act and the Government's attitude, Mr. Stead was not granted further permits for collecting." Protectees Defended. One wondered just what interest Mr. Stead had in the granting of permits to take birds for museums, stated Mr. Parry, referring to a letter written to him in November by Mr. Stead, who considered that there was no justification for the apparent attitude of the Department that bird collecting should be do*e by public museums only. Mr. Stead had, of course, written in support of hfir desire to obtain further permits for bird collecting. , "What Mr. Stead said then does not altogether agree with his advocacy now for permits for museum bird collecting," he added. "It would be 'good-bye' to our native bird life if we allowed the absolutely protected birds, and, in particular, the rarer species, to be commereialiaed en the lines Sr. Stead has suggested."