ACCLIMATISATION BLUNDERS

Evening Star, Issue 16782, 10 July 1918, Page 7

ACCLIMATISATION BLUNDERS

RED DEER ON STEWART ISLAND,

NO INVASION OF SANCTUARY,

The proposal of the Southland Acclimatisation Society that the guns should be turned looso on Stewart -Island to destroy tho red deer was strongly criticised by the OtagOvftSEitute last evening, together with much of the practice of acclimatisasation socioties. Dr Fulton said ho had noticed in an article in the 'Star-' on the increase of deer in Stewart Island that the Southland Acclimatisation Society considered is necessary that there should be a shooting season on the island. It seemed to him a strange and very deplorable circumstance that the only South Island sanctuary for birds and plants should bo in danger of destruction by the deer which had been turned out 15 ycarr ago, and had so increased that it was now necessary to place people there to exterminate them. It was a curious thing that for a few people who could pay a shooting tax we should have to put up with the destruction of our unique plants and birds. Dr Benham said that in 1905 Dr Cochayne wrote a report on the vegeaation of Stewart Island, and at. the end he mentioned tho presence of tho deer and the iniquity of introducing them. Ho stated, however, that now they were there it was impossible to get rid of them At the same time, that was no excuse for allowine gunners to set foot on Stewart Island; to* allow a party to go into the interior after gamo would be to institute u, cirrc worse than tho disease. Acclimatisation societies were introducing here the defects of the old game laws of England. For the privilege of a few the country bad been slocked with what was called game—animals that did a great deal of harm—and ail for amusement, existing for only a short part of the year, and taken part in bv few. They had stocked tho rivers with trout, but who could partake of them ? Tho Hon. G. M. Thomson said that acclimatisation in this country had run niad. The effect of the red, deer in most parts of the country was seen in the eating out of the whole of the undergrowth, arid we had now reached the absurd position that the Otago society had to send men into a district to kill off 1,000 deer, in order to keep the herds down within reasonable limits. On Stewart Island the destruction of vegetation by red deer was meat, but tho society should be pillowed, to have a shooting season. The Government should employ a man or men to destroy as many as possible of these animals. * Not only would the vegetation ultimately he destroyed, but the kiwi would be exterminated, because with the destruction of the undergrowth insect life would bo destroyed. Tho time had come for scientific methods to determine tho whole, question of acclimatisation. Over 600 species of animals hud found their wav into this country, and at least 200 species had been purposely introduced. There were hundreds of thousands of red deer, moose were multiplying, aiul_ wapiti ;ui(l chamois were increasing. We were going to be pestered by theso things presently. No animal should be introduced until the merits of the case had been discussed. The whole history of the introduction of animals, birds, and insects was laughable if it were not so serious. We had introduced about 250 species Hif rti sects without knowing it, and then' a like 250 to ki»- them. One district protected pheasant?, another barred them; one district protected rabbits, another shot them.

The question arose of doing something to prevent effect being given to the Southland society's suggestion, and the -matter was relegated to the council to consider the question of approaching the other institutes and the Minister of Internal Affairs.