Wildlife at risk, say hunters

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 15

Wildlife at risk, say hunters

PA Auckland. Ninety-nine per cent of New Zealand children are not going to be able to see wildlife any more unless more care is taken, according to the Big Game Hunters’ Association. At its annual conference in Auckland at the weekend, the association decided to seek various measures aimed at promoting the conservation of wildlife. Remits were passed calling for the removal of ! some powers from pest | destruction boards, the I banning of 1080 poison in , national and forest parks and on Stewart Island, more money for the Wildlife Service, and dropping the plan to use dogs in the Urewera and Fiordland national parks. The 1080 poison was a known danger to bird-life, in particular the kakapo and the Takahe, said the association's president (Mr B. Candy). i The association also ! called for stringent testing ; and monitoring of chernicI al sprays and poisons.

It wants to remove the power of pest destruction boards to impose penalties for shooting rabbits on public and private land without authority from the controlling board, and to have the term “noxious” removed from Government publications when it refers to deer. It will approach the Postmaster-General to get more picture of wildlife on stamps. The association will set up a study group to look into the implications of deer farming. The conference was opened by Mr G. W. Bryant, president of the Social Credit Political League. He called for the setting up of four conservation zones in New Zealand — an inviolate sanctuary zone, a reserve or park zone, an open country zone, and a national development zone. He also called fnr a legally enforceable conservation code, to ensure that manufacturers an industries conserved national resources.