DANGER OF RABBIT POISONING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LV, Issue 4572, 14 November 1935, Page 2

DANGER OF RABBIT POISONING.

DEPARTMENT’S POLICY. In response to representations made by the society respecting the use of rabbit which also affected bird life, letters on the question Avere received from two Ministers of the CroAvn at last night’s meeting of the council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Sir Alexander Young, said that in an earlier communication the Department of Agriculture had stated that -actually very much smaller quantities of all poisons Avere being used as compared with a few years ago, oAving to the diminution in the rabbit pest that had taken place, that none of the baits used Avere such as Avould ordinarily attract birds, and that no satisfactory proof had been adduced of poisons used for rabbits being responsible for the deaths of numbers of native birds.

“As far as poisoned carrots are concerned,” continued the Minister, “it appears that carrots are unsuitable for a summer poison OAving to their drying up and becoming too quickly unpalatable, and in \4ew. of that it Avould appear that no useful purpose could be served by approaching rabbitr boards with a vieAV to advocating the more extended use of carrots-” The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. C. E. Macmillan, wrote stating: “It may give your society some assurance to knoAV that inspectors and rabbiters in the Department of Agriculture are under instruction to take all possible steps in the safeguarding of bird life Avhen laying poison for rabbits. Poisoned grain is a greater menace to birds than other forms of rabbit poison, and is now seldom xised.” Mr W. G. Woiilmann moved that, the Minister of Agriculture be asik-' ed Avliether he Avould use his. efforts to restrict to a minimum .the use of poisoned grain, and that the process of poisoning by the gas method in' burroAvs be encouraged as much as possible. Mr D. J. Gibbs quoted an instance where carrots had been eaten by pukekos, and said it seemed that they were also going to destroy bird life. . iMr. Wbhlmann’s motion was earned and it Avas also decided to refer the whole question to the game committee for a comprehensive report to the council. The committee will investigate the various methods at present used in poisoning rabbits, and their effect on bird life.