CONTROL OF WILD LIFE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 7

CONTROL OF WILD LIFE

PLAN FOR NATIONAL SUPERVISION PROPOSALS BY HON. W. E. PARRY POSITION OF ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETIES The belief that the problems confronting acclimatisation societies in the preservation of game could best be met by the creation of a department of State, co-ordinating practical and scientific experience, was emphasised by the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, when speaking to a deputation in Christchurch. Mr Parry indicated that he was working towards the achievement of that aim. “We are all attempting to make some contribution to a problem that is getting worse,” Mr Parry said, when replying to representations from the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. “I feel that our practical experience is now exhausted. The day for scientific research is here. We applied our practical experience, gained from past problems, to those now confronting us. I feel that it is obvious to everyone that our policy in the past must, now be finished with, whatever our past treatment of our problems has accomplished; otherwise we would not be alarmed about the situation, as we certainly are now. “If we could feel certain that the maintenance of our wild life could be undertaken out of the reVenue from our licence fees, there would be no difficulties. But we are in this situation now because we have not been able to maintain wild life from the existing revenue. It is a complicated and intricate job, but it must be tackled, and tackled with the most formidable sort of organisation-it is possible for us to establish. The only possible solution to the problem I can see is that we must have the most up-to-date organisation we can, to save the wild life of this country. Influences at Work “Many influences have been at work in the creation of our present problems —the destruction of the bush cover, the effects of erosion, the draining of our swamps, the construction of. access roads to game preserves, the increase of shooters, and the improvement in their weapons. There is also the constant increase iu pests of all descriptions. Our native bird life will decrease if we do not bring into existence an organisation to meet the difficulties. In fact, we will be faced with the possibility of the annihilation of some of our most beautiful birds, if we do not act. That seems to be my duty. If we do not act, we are going to lose ground —in fact, we are losing ground to-day. You and’ I have had the practical experience. I believe that we can have that practical experience so organised in a national department that, with the help of practical men and those experienced in the science of the job, we can ultimately cope with this big problem. “All this that I say about the preservation of game I would say about our fish,” Mr Parry added. “I feel that one reason for the situation we now find ourselves in is that no one has been sufficiently concerned abopt it. That is, until recently. The preservation of ’ game has not been considered a greats problem in our national development. I know that in Parliament, even, it has- not received much consideration. We must get an organisation going ourselves. Unless we can create some status for , ourselves we will not get anywhere. "Misrepresentation” “In this respect I feel that sportsmen should see that they stick to the truth and not misrepresent what a man has said,” the Minister said, when referring to a speech he made recently at Wanganui, and which, he claimed, had been misrepresented. “I feel that what I said then was a true picture of my aims for the preservation of our game. I think that we should have a national organisation—perhaps the same as that existing for the tourist business—coordinating the activities of practical and scientific men. At the same time, we could have a system of wardens throughout the country. There are scores of men, some with years of experience and interest in game preservation behind them, most of them with that as their hobby, in fact, who could act in that capacity.” / • , Dr. D. McK.' Dickson,‘the, spokesman for the deputation, asked: Does that mean that the whole work done by the societies will,be taken over by the Government Department? Mr Parry: By a Government department, with the co-operation of all interested organisations —with, say, a council to advise the department in both the North Island and the South Island. The department would call on the services of practical nien and scientists and the most effective national organisation of rangers _ aimed at the complete destruction of all pests. Unless we do this the problem is going to get ahead of us. “There is no doubt that we are in sympathy with your ideals,’ Dr. Dickson said, when replying to the Minister “Whether the society as a whole will be in favour of the control of all wild life being taken over by the Government depends on the constitution of the department and the powers of the proposed advisory councils. We ourselves have already instituted a wide inquiry into wild life here and will willingly pass on the Results to you. The society, with several scientific experts numbered among its members, has always endeavoured to passion its knowledge and to co-ordinate the experience of practical men with the knowledge of research experts.”