SPREAD OUTWARDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 17 December 1947, Page 6

SPREAD OUTWARDS

THREAT COAST SURVEY MADE FURTHER REPORT WANTED The opossum menace in the P.B. Catchment Board's area has been closely investigated and after a report was read to board members at a meeting yesterday there was a discussion on how the pest could be dealt with most satisfactorily. It was decided to await a further report from the Internal Affairs Department. Following are extracts from a report made by Mr. L. Pracy, fields officer, Department of Internal Affairs, concerning a recent inspection of the Tokomaru Bay. Te Puia and Ruatoria areas and up the main river systems on to the watershed of the Raukumara Range:— “Liberation.—The two-known liberation points in the P.B. catchment district are Whatatutu and the head of the Waipaoa Valley, Pakarac Valley and Panikau Station area. Although further liberations over a period of time were possibly made no records have been kept. “The opossum population in the district points to a spread outwards from each of the points of liberation,” states the report. “There also seems to be an indication that they have spread down from the headwaters of the main river systems. From the badly-infested, areas in the centre of the P.B. catchment district movements appear as follows: District Movements “From the Waipaoa River and its tributaries, Waimatau and Wairangiora streams, into the headwaters of the Mata River following the WaipaoaMotu watershed; from Waingaromia River, and tributaries through to the Tutamoe ridge and down into the Mangamatukutuku and Haupatau streams; from the badly-infested country in the headwaters of the Waingaromia River, Mangaheia and Mungatokerau streams into the headwaters of the Hikawai River and Waiau stream; from the headwaters of the above into the lower tributaries of the Mata River and smaller coastal streams. “The opossum movement northwards from the above-mentioned areas is not only down the river systems, but across country. Movements, in my opinion, would be caused mainly by over population, lack of food, plus heavy drought periods. “To sum up, the population in the Tokomaru, Te Puia and Ruatoria areas greatly varies in density. The Tokomaru area bordering the heavilyinfested country to the south shows a denser population than the latter two, but is not nearly as dense as this area immediately to the south. In the Te Puia area the opossum population is scattered and not heavy. In the Ruatoria area there is a very scattered population mainly in the higher country of the Raukumara Range. No opossums occur over most of this area. “Little or no knowledge is available as to the best means of control of the opossum by local residents.” Damage Done by Stock Tire conclusions of the investigator are:— “(1) Damage is being done by stock to planted exotic cuttings .and trees, and in areas of bush in the Raukumara Range; “f2) There is definite need for instruction in methods of control and action by local residents before the population reaches a density where control work becomes a full-time job, I suggest that if extermination campaigns are to be carried out in the future they be started on either the southern or northern boundaries of the whole area of the P.B. cacthment district at present infested with opossums. “In my opinion the population position in the respective areas is:—(a) Tokomaru Bay, position at present not serious, could become so within a few years; (b) Te Puia, population scattered, position unlikely to become serious in the near future; (c) Ruatoria, very few opossums at present in the area." “We don’t seem to be making any progress with this infernal pest,” said Mr. F. W. R. Graham. “We started off pressing for a bounty of 1/- per tail and now we seem to be putting our faith in poisoning. I don’t mink we are making sufficient progress with the stamping out or control of the opossum. We want to clear the matter up and should still press for the bounty and poisoning and so get the confidence of the farmers.” Mr. E. M. Monckton’: Is it better to poison or trap? Departmental Teams

Mr. H. J. Lougher explained he had been told unofficially that it would take a relatively small party only two years to control the opossum. He said he would rather see the department put men on to do the work.

“We are making haste slowly, but I think we are going along in the right direction,” added Mr. Lougher. Mr. Monckton suggested that the main problems would be faced in the back country. Waikaremoana was thick with opossums . and recently he had seen some willows trimmed right back. Surprisingly, he said, the damage seemed to be localised. He had noticed that in a number of other cases.

Mr. E. W. McEnnis said the board should await a report from the Minister of Internal Affairs. The board, he said, “might be out of step” if it took action at this time.

The chairman, Mr. J. R. Hair, said the council would not let up on its policy. The Minister disliked the principle of bounties. It looked as though the opossum could be brought under control by the wild life division of the department by putting a number of men into the district.

It was decided to await the official report.