NATIVE BIRO PRESERVATION

Evening Star, Issue 24016, 15 October 1941, Page 5

NATIVE BIRO PRESERVATION

GOVERNMENT'S APATHY SPECIES BECOMING EXTINCT In the course of an address before the Otago branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand last evening, Mr L. E. Richdale, speaking on the present state of affairs relating to the welfare of native birds and nesting grounds on the Otago Peninsula, Stewart Island, and outlying islands, directed strong criticism at the attitude of the Department of Internal Affairs in its apathy towards the preservation of native bird life in Now Zealand. He pointed to the lack of interest taken by the department in the royal albatross and penguin colonies on the Otago Peninsula, and to the destruction of native birds on Stewart Island and outlying islands. On the isand of Herekopare, eight miles from Halfmoon Bay, five species of native birds, Mr Richdale said, had become extinct in the past 30 years, and three more species of sea birds were in danger of being lost if prompt action was not taken. Dr Basil Howard was in the chair. THE ALBATROSS COLONY. Mr Richdale said that the policy of the department was to depend on local enthusiasts, and, when that failed, to do nothing further. He described the interest taken by the Royal Society in the royal albatross at Taiaroa Head, and to its endeavours to obtain financial assistance and special legislation to protect them. Nothing was done by the department, and it was left to members of the society and the Otago Harbour Board to provide adequate protection for the birds. This year five pairs of albatross were nesting, Mr Richdale said, and each female would lay one egg. Already five chicks had been reared at the colony since 1937. “By 1950 there will bo very few breeding penguins left at _ the Otago Peninsula,” Mr Richdale said. “ Some penguins have been shot and nests are still being molested. Representations have been made to the department to have this vandalism stopped, but nothing has been done. At one colony there were 19 nests in 1937, hut since then there has been a gradual decline, until to-day there are only eight nests and all the birds are old ones.”

VANDALISM. Mr Riclidale gave instances of vandalism in connection with penguin colonies, and referred to the destruction of protected shags. There were 1G species of shags in New Zealand, he said, and 12 wore protected, although no attempt had been made to acquaint the' public with that fact. The beautiful spotted shag had been wiped out in some places, and there were only about 200 of the Stewart Island blue shags left. If this destruction were allowed to continue, he said, it would be a serious matter for native birds, whoso preservation was a national matter and the Government’s responsibility. FIVE SPECIES EXTINCT. “ The destruction of native birds on Herekopare,” Mr Riclidale stated, “ is a tragedy. This island was once the home of countless sea birds and a number of land birds, and was a natural gem. Since 1911, five species of birds have become extinct —the robin, the parrakeet, the fern bird, the tomtit, and the korure—and only three kinds are left on the island to-day. the parara, the titi wainui, and the kuaka. We can save these if we act quickly.” Mr Riclidale said that in 1911 there were at least 500,000 birds on Herekopare, but to-day there wore between 2,000 and 3,000. He referred to the destruction caused by cats and rats, and said that all over the island he had seen remains of wirds. He suggested that the best way to save the birds was to clear the outlying islands of vermin and to remove the wekas from them, as they, too, destroyed the small sea birds. At the conclusion of Mr Rochdale’s address two resolutions were carried urging the Department of Internal Affairs to introduce a more effective system of native bird preservation, and to safeguard the native birds in Stewart Island and outlying islands, particularly Herekopare, by the destruction of vermin. . A short talk on th® ringing of birds in Dunedin was given by Dr B. .T. Marples, who explained why the birds were tagged, giving interesting facts about their bahts and characteristics.