Protest On Limit Bag To Be Made To Minister

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30057, 15 February 1963, Page 13

Protest On Limit Bag To Be Made To Minister

A protest against a Governmeat proposal to reduce the limit bag for mallard and shoveler ducks in the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society’s district is to be made to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) by two of the society's members. Messrs G. Mugfoed and J. E. Foote.

Tiie proposal was purposeless, said Mr Mugford at a meeting of the society. For the first time in many yean ducks in the district had increased to the point where they were becoming an embarrassment. They were even eating rye grass, and were causing considerable damage to crops. The society wanted, the limit imposed last year, of 15 mallard and 10 shoveler duck*. The department's proposal to reduce the number* to 10 and five could not be justified in this district

The Minister will also be asked to reconsider the limit of 10 of the number of decoys which can be used by shooters. The society seeks permission to use more than 10 decoys for geese, but only in the special season held apart from the usual season in May. A suggestion by the Marine Department that there be an

- increase in the maximum ! size of mesh allowed for muli let fishing in Lake Ellesmere i was being strongly opposed i by the fish committee, said ! the committee’s chairman • (Mr G. Ferris). The use of i net* of greater depth was also . recommended by th* departl ment. Such a move should not be • made until representative* of i the committee discussed the • matter with the department, i Mr Ferris said. The department was advo- - eating the increased mesh size ■ in the interests of commer--1 cial fishermen only. No atten- ’ tion was being paid to the- re- ! quirements of the acclimatisa--1 tion society, said Mr D. E. . Ames. Mote than 100 pheasants ■ would soon be released by i ’the society after breeding at ! Greenpark. The society might later discuss the advisability ! of continuing th* rearing of i pheasants, as areas in the dis- ■ trict were probably better ' suited to partridges, said the t president (Mr F. J. Gorton), i Partridges would establish ’ themselves better than I pheasants, said Mr Mugford i “If the rabbit boards were a* successful in eradicating > rabbits as they were in i poisoning pheaisants. they would be doing an excellent job.” he said. Mr P. F. H. Rowley said the poisons used by the boards had killed very few birds. The North Canterbury Catchment Board wrote saying that it opposed a suggestion from the society that steps be taken to increase ponding at Ahuriri lagoon to improve the area as a habitat for wildlife.