Some Buller stock losses unreported

Press, 13 December 1982, Page 7

Some Buller stock losses unreported

Westport reporter Many buller farmers who lose stock no longer reported the losses to the police, said the President of Buller Federated Farmers, Mr Bruce Hamilton. He was commenting on the answer given by the police to a question in Parliament by the member of Parliament for the West Coast, Mr T. K. Burke. Mr Burke asked, "If progress was being made in the attempt to stop rustling of stock in the Buller district and. if not. what further actions are being contemplated by the police?” Answering 'for the Minister of Police, Mr Couch. Mr Thomson said that only one case of theft of cattle had been reported to the police on the West Coast this year. Three cattle. beasts' were stolen and the offender was apprehended and convicted of the offence. Apart from normal preventive measures, no special action was contemplated by the police in the foreseeable future. Mr Burke's question follows up newspaper reports of an illegal meat trade by at least two local farms and the concern of local farmers about the stock losses. Commenting on the stock

losses earlier. Mr Hamilton said several hundred head of stock had been lost in recent years. "Unfortunately the rustlers are impossible to catch, and in any case it is always a battle to get a conviction." he said. At this stage farmers were not considering banding together to fight the problem. "But we would like the Minister of Agriculture to shut down the illegal farm butcheries. Once they go our stock losses will surely diminish." he said. , Mr Hamilton's comment about farmers not bothering to report losses is exemplified by the experience of a Charleston farmer, Mr Kevin Bull. Mr Bull complained to the Westport police in December. 1975, that he had lost 30 yearling cattle in three months. He reported finding tracks leading to a nearby property and wanted to know if the police would take ,■ action, but was told the i police could do nothing. 1 He complained about more i stock losses in 1977 and was : again told the police could do : nothing unless he could catch ( someone in ■ the' act. Some farmers have actu- ■ ally found the butchered re- :

mains of animals on their properties. Two Barrytown farmers with boundaries on the coastal highway between Greymouth and Westport lost considerable stock earlier this year. Both farmers reported their losses to the Greymouth police. The Nobles of Barrytown reported losing 30 lambs in the February-March period and 40 ewes and 10 hoggets between July and October. A neighbour. Mr Bill Weir, cannot account for 200 sheep in the same period and is sure between 80 and 100 have been removed from his property by rustlers. Stock is also missing in the Cronadun area. The Barnhills have lost 80 sheep in the June-August period while neighbours have also reported stock losses.

In each case the losses were more than the normal losses farmers learn to accept.