THE OPOSSUMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 125, 19 February 1921, Page 9

THE OPOSSUMS

NEW REGULATIONS FRAMED TRAPPING UNDER LICENSE During the last session of Parliament an amendment of the Animals Protection Act of 1908 was passed, making provision for fhe issue of regulations relative to the taking of opossums and the disposal of the skins of thoso animals. The Hon. G. Anderson. Minister of Internal Affairs, directed that a conference should be held of those interested, with a view of drawing up adequate regulations m order to give protection to oj ossums and at the same time to enable orchardists to destroy them in orchard areas. A preliminary conference, presided over by the Minister, was held tn Wellington in December last, when tentative regulations were drawn up, kind it was decided that a committee be appointed to meet in Dunedin with a view of consulting primarily those interested in the opossum skin industry. This committee subsequently reported to the conference whch again met this week, and finally approved of the proposals. The conference consisted of Messrs, M'lntosh and Tripp, as representatives of the Otago and Wellington Acclimatisation Societies, Professor Kirk, whose very valuable report on these animals was presented to Parliament last session Mr. Shelton, secretary of the Fruit Growers’ Association; Mr Stewart, of Messrs. Mooney and Co., skin importers aihl''furriers, Dunedin together with representatively of the forestry, Lands, Agriculture, Customs, Police, and Internal Affairs Departments. It is proposed by the regulations to declare >an open season during rhe month of Juno in the present year, and the necessary provision has been made for the issue of licenses, and in cider to prevent illicit trading in opossum skins, nil such skins proposed to be disposed of for gain must be sold through a licensed broker. It is further proposed to require a royalty of ono shilling on every skin sold- by the broker, and registers are required to be kept containing particulars regarding opossum skins. Provision has been made for payment to the Acclimatisation Society in whose district the opossums were taken such proportion- of fees, fines, and royalties as may be decided by the Governor-in-Council. No person shall export opossum skins without prior consent of the Under-Secretarv of the Department of Internal Affairs.

It was realised that there were a numjber of opossum skins in possession of dealers and others, and in trader to make provision for such skins without inflicting any hardship on the possessors it will be necessary fqr all such per-

sons to declare to the Under-Secretary, ••> Department of Internal Affairs, the number of such skins, which will be stamped by an officer duly appointed for that purpose. A considerable amount of time was given to the question of authorising orchardists to kill or destroy opossums in orchards and in orchard areas, and

it was finally decided to allow the occupier of any registered orchard under the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act to kill opossums in such orchard, but as it was recognised that it would .be necessary, in order to cope with opossums, to allow them to be taken in the immediate vicinity of orchards, it was de'cided to define orchard and to permit any registered orchardist or bona-iide

employee of such orchardist to take or kill opossums in any such defined area, but such skins may only be disposed of for sale through a registered broker. In the case of any person desiring to retain opossum skins taken by him for his own use such person must pay a royalty of one shilling on each skiu.

In receiving the report of the conference Mr. Anderson expressed his appreciation of the work done by the conference, and trusted that the result of the deliberations would enable orchardists to protect their orchards against depredations by opossums and at the same time protect those l animals in areas outside orchard districts. He realised that the opossum industry, though yet in its infancy in this Dominion, might in time he built up into one of great monetary importance, and owing to the large tracts of country in different parts of the Dominion which were quite unsuited for settlement purposes,’ he honed that the time would come when such areas would become practical furhearing areas and produce large revenues for the benefit of the Dominion as a whole.