PERSECUTION OF SHAGS

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1938, Page 10

PERSECUTION OF SHAGS

PROTECTED SPECIES SHOT. “There iS- a very mistaken. notion among many members of Acclimatisation Societies that all species of shags prey on trout,” said Captain E. V. Sanderson, 'president of the ?- Forest and Bird Protection Society at a recent meeting of the • executive. “The relentless destruction of native shags by Acclimatisation Societies and the Department of Internal Affairs which controls the Rotorua. Acclimatisation district is not justifiable. J J ■ Y“In a recent issue of an Auckland paper, a photograph, appears showing the shag bag secured by some misinformed shojotists. The birds, so far as can be- recognised in - the picture, are all pied shags, which are marine feeders. .

“An t article in a Southland paper states that ‘a ranger' had shot 450 shags'. One many of these belonged . to., protected or nonharmful species,.in regard to trout. The black river shag is the only species which may be harmful to fresh water fish, and there are very well-informed people who' affirm that this species "is beneficial to trout, despite the fact that it does eat some. “The report one reads in the press about shag Shoots sound like' the story of the pogrom'against the Jews in Germany.” Surely it is more cow? ardly to‘shoot these defenceless birds on their nests than humans who assuredly will counter attack. Yet the perpetrators of these cowardly acts appear to present their names 'to the public as heroes. Verily a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” s The speaker quoted the following opinions on- the habits or the pied shag culled from the writings of ornithologists: “It is essentially a salt-water species feeding off-shorje, and returning to the mainland or? .to roost. —Edgar F. Stead.; VX-‘ “Fishes mostly taken along the sea coast form its. principal food. It visits its fishing grounds returning in the evening to roost on the trees in Which it wasreared,”—W.R.B. olives ■. ■ • ' /Jx “Its food consists mainly of fish of every marine species,, but it is not one of the shags with which -Acclimatisation Societies need be concerned -. in regard to the . problem of shags and trout.”—R. A.' Falla.. 'yIt was decided to s.end to the Hon, W. E. Parry,. Minister , of Internal Affairs, a letter .protesting- against / the. indiscriminate war.• wagedi against shags. ■ ~■> — ni/y. :