OPOSSUM TRAPPING

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 68, 14 December 1944, Page 9

OPOSSUM TRAPPING

Acclimatization Society’s Views

It was stated at a meeting of the Wellington Acclimatization Society yesterday, that the Government had arranged a conference between acclimatization societies in February next. “At this meeting tlie question of opening whole districts for tlie trapping of opossums would be discussed. _> The Wellington society had previously written to the Minister of Internal Affairs saying that it was prepared to employ a competent trapper to de-al with open areas where damage was reported. This arrangement could only be made, however, if the Government allowed the society to have the revenue from licenses and stamping fees in the district. The chairman stated at yesterday’s meeting that the cost to the society would be about £7OO a year. The society further stated in its letter to the Minister that at present 300 individuals were employed in the off season trapping opossums. These would suffer if the restrictions were removed. Furthermore, if the trapping of these 300 individuals were disorganized, the number of opossums would, not decrease, as experienced trappers gave better results.