The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, May 28, 1938. ACCLIMATISATION.

Grey River Argus, 28 May 1938, Page 6

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, May 28, 1938. ACCLIMATISATION.

I Quite an optimistic view of bird life in its district is taken by the Grey Acclimatisation Society, whose annual report, in another column, records increases in Pukeko. Paradise Duck, Spoonbill Duck, and Black Teal. The Society has been successfully propagating trout, especially the brown variety, as indicated by its com' paratively limited trap test during the past term. Just now complaints are heard that sawmilling"may be hampered through being obliged to avoid river pollution, but there are more than game fish to consider, the whitebait, in particular, being affected. The protection of the streams, therefore, appears to be justified. The Grey Society has now succeeded in establishing rainbow trout, using its supply of brown trout 'ova to secure the Oiva of the

other variety from other societies. The organisation naturally regards the protection of native bird and fish life from the sportsman’s standpoint, but it should beware of allowing any too great latitude in the destruction of birds. Probably, the trout prey upon the whitebait, and that means the substitution of a less or a more edible type of fish, but, as regards native, birds, their destruction has already gone quit! too far. The Society’s Ranger reports an increase in native pigeons, jvith smaller native species “holding their own,’’ there being goodly numbers of the mako-mako, tui, fantails, tomtits, wrens, dottcrils, and grebes Rarer species mentioned as showing also some increase in the district include the blue robin, yel low-headed parakeet. oyster catcher or red bill, blue mountain duck, blue heron and white heron. Nevertheless, there is significance in another item in the report, that the kaka is also re ported to have been seen “mostly in the back country.” Whei'“ the kaka lingers to-day, in th' 1< nely hinterland, there may tomorrow be found the only resort of species still present nearer to human haunts, unless the people generally develop a more lively consciousness of the wisdom in preserving the native bird life. • The Government is occasionally ■ pestered with requests to allow : freer play for weasels, stoats and similar vermin, but to-day farmers are at last coming to realise those imported animals are useless as a protection from rabbits, whereas they arc notorious destroyers of native birds. Tim Minister of Internal Affairs has had to adopt a firm attitude towards those anxious for a variety of reasons to take native birds during the nesting season. It is more important for the Dominion to preserve native birds alive than dead, whether stuffed specimens are desired to serve the purposes of science or mere curiosity. ■ For instance, there are complaints reported in the case of the pukeko, but the amount of destruction done to crops by these birds is comparatively negligible. If more -extensive shooting facilities - are desired, the acclimatisation societies ought to leave alone the native species and concentrate instead upon imported ones. It ' may be acknowledged that the sportsmen have in general a b?t--i ter idea than the average person ' to what extent we retain native • bird life, and it would be an ad- ’ mirable development were they to study ways and means of assist ■ ing the comparative feiv enthusi asts engaged in protecting and repropagating the best foresters New Zealand possesses, the native birds. For these, no imported species will prove a substitute, whereas importations in 'certain ■ other cases, such as deer, opos sums, weasels, etc., are a destruc- , live influence among- the native Hora. The latter is unique in character, having in the course of ages generated in the absence of such natural enemies as the im ported species mentioned, and being- extremely susceptible to their depredations. Utilitarian equally with other considerations, dictate reliance upon the natural state of things, the disturbance of which in the past four generations has rendered the country increasingly liable to flood damage. Those who face the obligation to cope with erosion do not always trace Hie effects back to the ultimate causes, but, at. least, there should be attention given the monition of those who do conclusively enough prove those ultimate causes to be the rash interference with na turc’s own protective action. The Acclimatisation Society rightly takes pleasure in th'e fact that this district, with others of the West Coast, remains a home for many species of native birds which have in other provinces had their former habitat, disturbed or transformed. The high country hereabouts is calculated in coming- decades to remain a harbour for these species, and thus it is the more desirable to see among- the people a growing realisation of the wisdom of preserving them.