GAME CONTROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22400, 22 April 1936, Page 14

GAME CONTROL

DOMINION PROBLEM CONFERENCE DECISIONS CO-ORDINATION OF WORK [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The conference of New Zealand acclimatisation societies with the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. I']. Parry, was attended by representatives of 29 societies. Also present were tho chief inspector of fisheries, Mr. A. E. Heli'ord, and Mr. J. Bennett, of tho Internal Affairs Department. Mr. L. O. 11. Tripp, president of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies' Association, presided. Mr. Tripp said there had been discussions on amalgamation, and it was hoped that some of the smaller societies would agree to it. He hoped the Government would see that freshwater research was carried on, and he asked for a fair share of the revenue from opossums. He also asked for the removal of the protection of stoats and weasels, but lie did not think it wise to kill out hawks entirely. Tho possibility of breeding ducks, ho said, should be explored. The chairman concluded with an appeal for the planting of food trees for native birds. Pigs and goats, he declared, should bo exterminated from island sanctuaries, and this course should also be followed with red and fallow deer on Stewart Island. National Policy Needed

Addressing the delegates, Mr. Parry said he was satisfied that game shooting in tho Dominion was in a precarious position, hut if all those interested put their shoulders to the wheel, it should be possible to evolve a good, sound, national poliey. No one could question that the breeding of game birds had not kept pace with the shooting of them. Mr. Parry said that if it were possible to get'a national closing-up or the ranks of the present societies, with the object of co-ordinating their policies, based on suggestions, it would place name shooting on an excellent basis. In regard to breeding and liberation, the Minister emphasised that sportsmen bad to rely largely on the goodwill ot property-holders, and rightly so. He bad already had a discussion with some of his" colleagues in regard to the removal of the protection of stoats and weasels, and would continue to press for a favourable decision. All would agree that it was useless setting up any comprehensive national scheme for breeding, liberating and conserving game, if there was not an adequate system of ranging, and he admittqd that the State had a responsibility, at any rate from the point of view of keeping its own areas free of pests, or as free as was humanly possible.

Payments for Benefits Speaking of ways and means of financing a national policy, Mr. Parry said that as far as the shooting branch of the sport was concerned, his view was that those who took part in it should pay for it. Concluding, Mr. Parry said that if the main issues were faced, and not too many side ones were introduced, he saw no reason why an agreement as to a sound national policy for game should not result. He desired to be able to go to the Government with a united policy. At present, the obstacle in the way of a national policy was the sportsman himself. He sincerely hoped that as a result of the conference he would be able to report to the Government that the societies had arrived at a common understanding to sink minor issues of divisional and sectional interests, and had reached agreement on a national policy. The Minister suggested that thero should be two national organisations, one for the North Island and one for the South Island, with councils, similar to those they already had, for the purpose of co-ordinating national work, and that there should be branch organisations at suitable centres. Tho conference approved the Minister's suggestion of a central organisation in each instance, the work to be co-ordinated by a central body in Wellington. Interim committees, were set up to conduct business until the formation of North Island and South Island councils. Basis of Representation

It was decided that the North Island committee should consist of representatives of North Auckland, Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui, Waimarino, Wellington and Hawke's Bay-East Coast, with a provision, if desired, for a delegate from the East Coast. The South Island committee was arranged to consist of five members, representing the West Coast, Nelson, Marlborough, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Ashburton,- Otago, North Otago lakes and Southland.

It was stated that when tho island councils were set up, every society would be represented. An instruction was given by the conference that one of tho first duties of tho island councils should be tho consideration of the geographical distribution of societies, with a view to considering if more effective control, could be secured by an alteration, especially by the system of sub-branches, or sub-societies, as employed in Auckland.