SPECIAL GAME RESERVES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28630, 5 July 1958, Page 4

SPECIAL GAME RESERVES

Catchment Board’s Opposition

“If we are going to buy a few American dollars in this way well be paying a terrible price,” said Professor G. Jobbems at yesterday’s meeting of the North Canterbury Catchment Board when the question of game reserves had been raised in a report by the soil conservation and reserves committee. Mr A. P. Thomson, chairman of this committee, moved the adoption of a clause in the committee’s report stating: “That this board records its conviction that the commercialisation of noxious animals by encouraging guided hunting trips and setting up game reserves for overseas tourists is most undesirable and is contrary to the interests of conserving soil, forest and water resources.” Farming Noxious Animals Mr Thomson said there had been a movement for private individuals to set themselves up to take overseas visitors to shoot deer, chamois and thar. The committee’s view was that, for this to succeed, these persons must be able to guarantee animals for the visitors to shoot. That would mean the farming of animals. That would be contrary to the policy of the board in the complete extermination of noxious animals. Dr. Jobbems, seconding the motion, read a report, published in “The Press” of June 16, of a meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Holiday and Travel Association’s travel convention at the Chateau Tongariro, where the establishment of special game reserves was supported. The Catchment Board was dedicated to the principle of forest maintenance in the upper catchment areas. It would be a sad and sorry thing to see this principle undercut. Mr T. W. Preston, Commissioner of Crown Lands, said he had a particular interest in this matter through his association with two national park boards. One board had been asked about hunting trips and the fencing of selected areas. The time had arrived when the board should make its views known before the matter got out of hand. Mr Thomson said that many critical lowland areas in New Zealand were threatened because of the high population of animals in the high country. On the suggestion of the chairman (Mr R. M. D. Johnson) it was decided to refer the matter and a full report on it to the Soil Conservation Council Mr Johnson said that noxious animals were spreading. No-one would have dreamt a few years ago that chamois would be through to areas of North Canterbury. The clause in the report was adopted with the addition of the suggested amendment.