GAME AND FISH

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 40, 21 May 1935, Page 6

GAME AND FISH

PROVISION OF SUPPLIES.

WORK OF ACCLIMATISATION

SOCIETY.

Speaking at the Ellesmere Gun Club's duck dinner on Saturday night, Mr F. Steans, president of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, replied to criticism which had been directed at the society from sportsmen and others in the Ellesmere district.

Mr Steans said that during the last three years the society had constructed its hatchery at Greenpark. From the game farm it had liberated in that period 2500 pheasant and several hundred other game birds, at a cost of £500 per year. During the same period the society had received from shooters the sum of £500 a year. Previous to three jrears ago the society could dp little for the shooting men; as a matter of fact, the angling section had been carrying the shooters to a large extent. The fishing licenses for three years had been £1200 per annum, and there had been spent on hatching and liberating fishing stock £600 per year. This was the cost of the fry liberated in the rivers. The balance could not cover office and other expenses, and the council decided to sell surplus stock. Some sportsmen believed the society \vas taking the revenue and doing nothing for it. This was quite a misconception. Last year the society had asked for the co-operation of club members and had received it. It again asked for that co-operation, not only from the Ellesmere Club, but from all clubs, so that the society would be put in a sufficiently strong position to move the Department of Internal Affairs. He pointed out that the society did not make the rules and regulations; these were made by the department. The society was only the administrator—the go-between between the department and the shooters. Mr Steans referred to criticism of the society which had appeared from time to time in the Guardian, and said that he would like to briefly reply to some of it. In the first place, the society was accused of doing something with the licenses this year, in that the 10/- license did not include mallard duck. This was an imported bird, and the law said that imported birds must be put in a different class to the others. Up to the present the shooters had been lucky to be able to shoot mallard on the lower license fee, but the department now insisted upon this bird being put in its right class, and the society had to do it, hence it was not included in the 10/- licenses. With regard to Canadian geese, there had been a change of opinion in certain directions. Pressure was brought to bear upon the department by landowners to have these birds removed from the protected list. The council contended that the shooting of these birds disturbed other birds during nesting season, and had tried to have the position altered. The department did give a temporary cover over the lake, but when the department declared Canadian geese vermin, the society had to carry out instructions. The Minister was of opinion that the geese were a serious menace, but he knew nothing about the birds except what he had been told. The society intended to again approach the Minister on this matter to protect the breeding grounds on the lake by making it illegal to j shoot geese at certain periods of the year, and if the society was assured of the support of all shooters it was hopeful of accomplishing something. With regard tojthe sale of pheasants, the society during the past season had bred between 1200 and 1300. It had liberated a quantity and sold a quantity to sister societies. If the society was to go on breeding birds to any extent, it would have, to sell some to pay the cost. This year the game farm had paid for itself, the sales had paid the cost of liberations. The same remark applied to the hatchery. The society, on account of the extent of its operations and the amount of revenue it received, had no option but to sell certain birds. It did not mean that the society was or would become a trading concern, but if it were to continue to cater for the sportsmen in any reasonable way there was no other course.