BIRDS AND BUSH

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1928, Page 9

BIRDS AND BUSH

THE OPOSSUM— for & AGAINST. In a progress report issued by tire N.?. Native Bird Protection appears the following: — The opossum Question has again come to the forefront owing to an application made to the Honouvab.c Minister of Internal Affairs by AccLmatisation Societies to further distribute tho animal. Probably the most pressing need in New Zealand is the preservation of a sufficiency of oiu ’ndigenous forests as they are ■tiai for the conservation of rainfall, 'for the presention of erosion, and such 'matters which make for the prosperity of our primary industries. Our native birds inhabiting the forest arc absolutely essential to maintain our indigenous forests in health and well •being. There are many who doubt that the opossum is a real asset, and 'suggests that we are probably jeo 'pardising a far greater wealth producer —the forests for the smaller revenue derived from skins. ’ Those who receive financial benefits 'from tho opossum are the department 'of Internal Affairs, the Forest Service. •Acclimatisation Societies, trappers, skin buyers, etc., and from these comes the most strenuous advocacy 'for the animals. Some most extra'ordinary statements have been made '.as for instance that the fact of trappers catching rats and stoats has caused native birds to prosper in those ’localities where trapping goes on. Estimates of thousands of rats caught by trappers have been made when the ’fact is that nobody can form the crudest notion how many are killed. On 'the other hand they assert that only' : an. occasional kiwi or weka is caught, ■—in fact any story to make a good case. Now the facts, as nearly as can be stated as judged from numbers of statements from reliable people who can have no possible interest in the opossum are that desirable revenue is received yearly from skins. They on the other hand admit damage is done to tho forest by opossums and trappers, while kiwi and other birds are killed wholesale by traps. Tho opossums themselves eat eggs and fledglings, and some observers state, and apparently authentically, that they 'even kill full grown pigeons and other birds.

Our Society has therefore asked for a, comprehensive scientific survey by some disinterested body, and it is understood that a start has boon made in this direction. It is only to be hoped that it will be on a. suiliciontiy largo : calc, to put all doubts at rest and. not merely, of a nature Io allay public feelings. So many mistakes

have been made in past acclimatisation efforts that is is surely wise to take every precaution before acting.