Acclimatisation Society agrees to own demise

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34105, 18 March 1976, Page 18

Acclimatisation Society agrees to own demise

The North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society last evening gave tacit approval to its own abolition by agreeing to ask the Government to amalgamate acclimatisation societies throughout the country.

On the motion of its fisheries management committee chairman (Mr S. C. Sparrow), the society’s council agreed to a call for “the rationalisation of wildlife and fisheries control and related environmental matters.”

Without dissent, the council agreed to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Highet), to begin the amalgamation of acclimatisation districts.

Approaches will also be made to the Minister of State Services (Mr Gordon), to amalgamate into one department the wildlife service (now in the Department of Internal Affairs), fisheries management (now in the Department of Agriculture), and control of the environment (now a separate department) "Our society controls one of 25 acclimatisation districts. In our own little patch, with good management at a social level, the situation can be harmonious, but this is not enough. Considerable variation m the quality of management exists within these 25 districts.” Mr Sparrow said.

Wetland drainage, irrigation proposals and hydroelectricity were all having a profound and often detrimental effect on recreational opportunities which all too frequently depended on at least the status-quo being maintained in regard to fish and wildlife, said Mr Sparrow. “When a fair deal for recreational interests is beine bargained for, no unified strong voice speaks. Usually a discordant chorus of feeble protests is the answer and once more the Ministry of Works or the Electricity Department find the society movement a pushover. “And the reasons are ouite clear. The machinery which we must use is outdated, unwieldy and in plain language, it does not measure up for the job. "For a start, there are too many societies, parochialism is rife and the attainment of unity within the society movement is a virtual impossibility. “And, as if that were not enough, we have two island

councils and, with the latest decision by the South Island council, a national executive on top of that again. We are legislated and controlled by two acts of Parliament and two Government departments, and we are directly affected by another five Parliamentary acts and three more Government departments involved with wildlife. “And there are some four or five advisory bodies set up by statute. The result is a fragmented, weak system which is so confused that the various Government departments almost have an excuse for being out of touch with local issues and not knowing what to do. At senior departmental level there is a complete and utter lack of leadership," said Mr Sparrow. "We must also tolerate the situation of the Fisheries Division being lumped in with the Department of Agriculture in a very bad case of conflict of interest, fisheries being very much a minor voice in that union.

“A further conflict arises with the Minister for the Environment (Mr Young), also being the Minister of Forests. We need a minister and a department which will fight hard for our cause,” he said.

Mr Sparrow referred to the Hunn Report, which was published in 1968, containing wide ranging recommendations for restructuring wildlife and fisheries. “At the time these recom-

mendationa were unpalatable to the society movement, principally because the abolition of societies was advocated in favour of a single wildlife and fish commission located in the Lands and Survey Department. “Sportsmen’s organisations would then be able to lobby directly in pursuit of their interests and the ramshackle society pipeline would be eliminated. “However, for many, the Hunn Report was too farreaching and those in a position of command lacked the courage and the will to implement its provisions,” he said. .