7750 rabbits imported for farming

Press, 11 May 1981, Page 2

7750 rabbits imported for farming

Since the beginning of last year, when it became possible to farm rabbits and to import the animals, 7750 had been imported, said the Under-Secretary of Agriculture (Mr Talbot) at the weekend.

He was opening the first national convention, annual meeting and show of the New Zealand Domestic Rabbit Council at Lincoln College.

A . staunch supporter of diversification in farming, Mr Talbot said that the gathering was another indication of the dramatic changes that were taking place in this sphere of primary industry. He recalled that after rabbits were first introduced in the 1840 s and 1850 s the meat and skins had become an important industry and the skins significant export earners.

As momentum was gained in re-establishing a viable domestic rabbit industry, there was a need for the utmost co-operation with the pest destruction movement, which the Government was committed to supporting, Mr Talbot said.

“For your industry to develop and maintain credibility those activities (of the pest destruction movement) must not be undermined and it must be clearly understood that feral rabbits are a continuing threat to our pastoral production,” he said. Mr Talbot urged people with domestic rabbits to adhere to the conditions

under which they were now able to have them.

He said that the agricultural research division of the Ministry of Agriculture was looking at pest control methods, including the use of the virus, myxomatosis, against the rabbit. Before any recommendation could be made to the Government the advantages and disadvantages and consequences of a myxomatosis programme had to be assessed. However he could give an assurance that such a programme would not be introduced as a control method without a full environmental impact report being prepared. In response to a question about the possibility of crossbreeding between the domestic breeds which may now be kept in New Zealand Mr R. Waterson, senior executive officer for disease and pest control in the animal health division of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that this was being considered. Such crossbreeding is prohibited at present. An undertaking had been given to consult with the pest destruction movement, Mr Waterson said.

The idea of not having crossbreeding with feral rabbits and within the approved breeds was to keep identification easy. If was felt that if Crossbreeding were allowed there would be so many different rabbits that no-one would be able to tell if a feral rabbit had been used in the breeding.