Black market for rabbit feared

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33477, 7 March 1974, Page 2

Black market for rabbit feared

(N Z Press .Association) WELLINGTON. March 6. Very strong opposition to the establishment of rabbit farms came today from Feder- . ated Farmers. A black market in rabbit meat is feared. “If rabbit farming is introduced to New Zealand there ; will follow a grave setback, (and indeed a very real permanent barrier, to the effecI tive work of pest destruction.” said the secretary of | the federation (Mr A. V. McI Luskie). Mr McLuskie was making submissions to the Parliamentary Lands and Agriculture Select Committee on the Agricultural Pests’ Destruction Amendment Bill. FARMS, SALES The bill would enable the establishment of rabbit farms and the commercial sale of i skins and carcases. Mr McLuskie said that really effective control of rabbits began only in 1956 when there was “total devaluation of the rabbit both for skins and carcases.” “The removal of anv commercial value meant that eradication could proceed without anyone having a vested interest in ‘farming’ rabbits for their commercial worth,” the submissions added “The federation considers that the resumption of commercial selling of rabbit carcases and skins will mean that the feral rabbit, which has been the subject of eradication programmes for vears. will suddenly acquire a commercial value, and that as a result a very considerable biack market will develop in rabbit meat. DEER SYSTEM “The extensive system of refrigerated lockers throughout rural New Zealand as a result of the profitability of deer recoverv means that there would be readilv available a bulk distribution sys-

tern for feral rabbit meat which would be impossible to police. “The proponents of rabbit farming have attempted to argue that, as the rabbit for farming is of a different breed from the feral rabbit, it is readily distinguishable. However. in dressed carcase form, this distinction will not be so! readilv apparent and. in any! case, it will be virtually impossible to have any control; over black-market sales to a variety of outlets.” Another real problem

would arise from the use of poisons for rabbit control, said Mr McLuskie. “There is the very real likelihood that the toxic feral rabbit will be placed on the black market. Consequent illness and publicity will lead to public pressure to prohibit the use of poisons for rabbit I control. “Prohibition of poison ; would remove the only effective long-term method of controlling the rabbit population.”

it was imperative mai nothing be done which would prejudice the use of 1080 or any similar pest poison. “The devaluation of the rabbit has been of tremendous assistance in moulding opinion to the idea that rabbits are a pest. This has been of real psychological value in the war against rabbits.” Any move to permit rabbit farming and the commercial sale of rabbit carcases and skins would run counter to the idea of the rabbit as a pest, said Mr McLuskie.