FOND FEEDING OF DUCKS

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

FOND FEEDING OF DUCKS

COMPLAINTS MADE TO MR PARRY UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT CRITICISED “We have a good few sportsmen in the community, but at the same time there are many people in the community who do not care so long as they get their birds,’’ said the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, when discussing with a deputation the prevalence of pond-feed-ing of ducks round Lake Ellesmere. The deputation,, from the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, placed several matters before the Minister. In the discussion the pondfeeding of ducks came m for severe 'criticism from both the delegates and the Minister; Members of the deputation alleged that many farmers round Lake Ellesmere were constructing ponds for the commercialisation of the sport. . , . „„„ “I must say that the society is very pleased that you agreed to place protection on geese,” said Dr. D. McK. Dickson, the spokesman for the deputation. , . . . . Mr Parry: I do something right sometimes, then. “We must give credit where it is due, ’ Dr. Dickson said. “But we are disappointed in the new game regulations, more particularly in the local regulations. We feel that pond-feeding should have been regulated against more effectively. The recommendation to the Minister was, that pondfeeding in pursuit of game should be declared illegal. You, Mr Parry, at the time, mentioned that there were a lot of difficulties.” T Mr Parry: Something was done. It was a question of the wording of the regulations. I still think that you have the power in the regulations to deal with the problem. Dr. Dickson pointed out .that-the existing -regulation allowed pondfeeding right up to the night before the opening of the shooting season. Until the opening of the season a farmer could feed the ducks on his ponds as much as he liked. Then the ducks had formed the habit, and came back to the pond after the opening of the season, only to be slaughtered. Position of Non-shooters “I think that I know a gobd deal about this problem,” Mr Parry said. “One thing we must consider is that a great many people feeding on the ponds do not shoot there themselves and will not allow anyone else to shoot there. We have to think of them. I think that you have the power to bring the other people to book. I think that it is not sportsmanship at |all to undertake that type of shooting. ! - _ Members of the deputation; So do we. Mr Parry: It is a selfish sort of sport to my way of thinking. Mr C. H. Stonyer (another member of the deputation); That part of the business has become commercialised here. Mr Parry: I am afraid that it has become so elsewhere. But it is very hard to put down. You know that I have played no small part in trying to stop this. If I could find the person who uses the few birds we have for commercial purposes, I would go to any length to stop him. Dr. Dickson; The regulations now allow a man to feed right up to the opening of the season. , Birds Form a Habit Members told the Minister that there was 'no period allowed in the regulations, before the opening of the season, during which pond-feeding was illegal. Dr. Dickson -said that the system established a habit in the birds before the season started and they went, back to the, ponds afterwards. “I really think that the birds are shot off more or less in the first three days,” Mr Parry said. “What applies to the natural feeding ground (where that happens) applies to the artificially fed ground. Of course the birds return ‘ later and you have another slaughter. It is a difficult thing for the Government to tackle. Apparently sporting, manners do not enter into the question." Mr'Stonyer: They disappeared after the war. - i Mr Parry: Yes, I ,am afraid that while we have a lot of sportsmen, at the same time we have a lot of people in the community who do not care about sport so long as they get the birds they want. The Minister said that he had had a legal interpretation of the regulations olacdd before him and it seemed that if the societies had the rangers to , watch the ponds they had the power to take action. But, he said, the existing form of organisation would never give the sportsmen that degree of protection. Mr Parry asked: How big are these ponds? Mr Stonyer: They ( are everywhere round the lake. Many of the farmers there, are building them. They are selling the birds to firms in the city. Fresh ponds are being put in, every year purely for commercial reasons. Mr Parry promised, to give the representations of the society full consideration, although he emphasised that he believed that full control of the problem' would be difficult.