Game societies may be reorganised

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33960, 29 September 1975, Page 13

Game societies may be reorganised

(By

OLIVER RIDDELL

Wellington.)

In mid - November, j meetings of the North Island and South Island councils of the combined acclimatisation societies will either endorse or reject proposals of a new scheme to reorganise the structure and operation of acclimatisation societies. A brochure was sent out to societies for distribution' to their members on September IS outlining the proposals. and it is the recommendations contained in this which will be decided upon by the South Island Council \ on November 10 and the North Island Council on I November 14. The scheme contained ini the brochure is in three parts: The formation of a national executive to be com-1 posed of representatives) of each of the proposed; new acclimatisation dis-1 tricts, the wildlife service of the Internal) Affairs Department and the fisheries maangement division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The establishment of a) national fund obtained from a levy on all game and fishing licences to provide finance for; (A) Game management and' fisheries improvement projects according to national priorities, and (B) The employment of; society field staff on al national basis. A con-i soiidation of acclimatisation society districts • which will reduce their numbers from 25 to 13) (including the Governments districts). The introduction of game and fishing licences which will be effective throughout the whole country (including other Government districts). ' Majority needed The wildlife service considers that if a reasonable majority at the council meetings are in favour, then the scheme will go ahead..but if they are not in favour or | the vote is roughly split then the proposals will have to be looked at again. But the wildlife service considers that the proposals: will probably be accepted) and endorsed. This scheme was devised! by and emanated from indi-i vidual acclimatisation society!

members. The wildlife service has acted in an advisory I , capacity and arranged for the brochure to be printed, , but the societies edited’ the material in it and paid for' its printing. The deputy director of the wildlife service (Mr R. T.| Adams) said in Wellington I that the department con-! sidered that the scheme merited serious consideration as a genuine effort to overcome some of the problems] tin wildlife conservation today. The relationship of the department and the societies has been the subject of some criticism since this scheme was first mooted. It is the role of the department to administer the Wildlife Act. 1953. under which the acclimatisation societies are established, but the] societies are independent of department control w'ithin their regions. The Minister of Internal Affairs sets the game ' iseason and the Minister of 'Agriculture and Fisheries) sets the fishing season, but] the societies operate with-1 out Government money and are responsible for the administration within their: regions of the revenue they collect from subscriptions and licences. Under threat “Fishery and wildlife] values are under threat,”! begins the brochure. “New) Zealand is a fast-developing country and hunters and) anglers need to be able to )act quickly and concertedly to ensure that their interests are safeguarded.” They needed to be able to . demonstrate that the healthy development of their sport was in the public interest, and they needed to be more directly involved in the management of wildlife at !)the national level. The Hunn Report of 1968 • had stated that the organisation involving acclimatisaItion societies and Govern)ment fisheries and wildlife agencies was “unsuitable to ! deal with present-day prob- ) lems.” , I “Some, at least, of this ■: criticism was justified,” says ; the brochure, and for some time discussions initiated by ■ the acclimatisation society movement had been held ; with the Government agen- ;: cies concerned, with the aim I)of establishing a more colordinated approach to wild--11 life and fisheries manage- • ment and a more effective -'use of finances.'

In March, 1974, the Government had agreed in principle to the proposals submitted by the societies for the establishment of a national executive of acclimatisation societies, subject to five conditions. Conditions accepted These conditions had been referred to all societies and to the Island councils, and had been accepted, says the ' brochure. The national executive had been empowered to act to finalise the details and the scheme contained in the ■brochure was the result. “It has been alleged by some that this national executive scheme is a Government-inspired attempt to take over acclimatisation societies,” says the brochure. “The truth is quite different.” The basic scheme, in fact, had been originated by the acclimatisation society movement itself, and the first proposals had been presented to ■ the Ministers of Internal Affairs and Marine in 1971. Since then, acclimatisation society leaders had had to battle hard to convince the Government to agree to the modified proposals. Now’ that the Government ; had agreed in principle, a further step was necessary |to ensure that the proposed j national executive scheme |had the support of “the i majority of informed sportsmen.” Once this had been achieved, it was expected that the necessary amending regulations would be promulgated without delay. Among the proposed 13 districts are ’ NelsonMarlborough (combining the existing Nelson and Marlborough societies), .North Canterbury, West Coast (combining the existing West Coast and Westland societies), and' South Canterbury (combining the existing Ashburton, South Canterbury and Waitaki societies).