RESEARCH ON WATERFOWL

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27675, 3 June 1955, Page 6

RESEARCH ON WATERFOWL

AMERICAN LESSONS OUTLINED PROJECTED APPLICATION IN N.Z. The lessons he learned while studying in the United States, arid the manner in which he intended putting those lessons into effect in New Zealand, were outlined by Dr. R. W. Balham, of the Department of Internal Affairs, to a meeting last evening of members of the council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society and members of the .public. He addressed the meeting on waterfowl research and management in New Zealand.

In the past, wild-life management had been a “hit-and-miss” affairs, said Dr. Balham. “Whether we like it or not, we have to put wild life on a better footing,” ■he said. “It is a new science in the country, and because 'of that, we are groping for ideas, and the result is that we cannot expect a ‘yes-no’ answer to these problems yet,” he said. Till very recently, it had been considered that wild life was something apart from the land, said Dr. Balham. That was quite wrong, however. It was as much a part of the land as farm stock. The problem of duck and waterfowl production had to be approached on the line of carrying capacity, in the same way as farming., In waterfowl management, the question of pond sizes and water expanses was of great importance, Dr. Balham said. In the United States and Canada, extensive surveys were carried out to ascertain the production from various waters. At present in New Zealand, waterfowl bag limits were not based on production, but only on a guess. In the United States, investigations into these problems were a big project, for which 164,000,000 dollars was available. Small areas of water would, in proportion, give much greater production than large expanses such as Lake Ellesmere, said Dr. Balham. Such small areas of water must be produced for better production, and they could be, easily and cheaply. Dr. Balham spoke of the requirements for better production, vegetation, waters, feed, and habitat. The last, he said, was the key to the whole problem. The management of waterfowl was dependent upon a habitat improvement scheme, backed up by research. People in the United States were very surprised to learn that in New Zealand the Canadian goose was not considered the best game bird, said Dr. Balham. He would like to see the Canadian goose fostered as a game bird. “The main reason wry shooters here do not like the Canadian goose is because it is too sly for them,” he said. That need not be, however, if the shooters took the trouble to give goose calls correctly. The same applied to duck calls. He had seen some “fantastic” demonstrations of duck calling in America, he said. “I want to interest the sportsman in the Canadian goose as a game bird. As it is, we are now guilty of a waste of a great resource,” said Dr. Balham.