Conservation defends plans against attack

Press, 4 March 1988, Page 28

Conservation defends plans against attack

PA Wellington The Conservation Department has defended its plans for a new system of conservation management against claims it is being patronising and, involved in a Thinly-veiled takeover bid. The' department's deputy director-general, Mr Alan Edmonds, described claims by the AcSocieties’ executive director, Mr Bryce Johnston, as emotive and misleading. The department made public its position paper on conservation quangos on Sunday. ’ The acclimatisation societies and -the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society have joined Federated Mountain Clubs and the Native Forests Action Council in condemning the department’s ■proposed s}'stem for managing fish and game and administering (parks and reserves. ’ ! : i Mr Johnston said anglers and hunters would be relegated from ani active to an armchair role and day-to-day manage-

ment would pass (to departmental officials. Dr Edmonds said the departmental position paper had been] made public before being com sidered by the Government to make the] department's view ck ari Het said the proposals call for development of a more centra! ised approach to the system for managing . conservation resources hai always been expected. “Perhaps t cclimatisation societies would have liked to have it in their hands.” . Dr Edmond ; said that under the d jpartment’s proposal a n;w unified system of freslwater fish and game management would incorporate a national council'of acclimatisation societies and several regional acclimatisation society councils to provide policy direction for fish and game management. j • At present 32 acclimatisation societies and the Conservation Department are responsible for fish and gamebird resources.