WILD LIFE CONTROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23083, 7 July 1938, Page 17

WILD LIFE CONTROL

Sir.—l am very interested in the discussion under the above heading and 1 feel I cannot allow some of the statements to pass unchallenged. Mr. James Dobson, sen., appears to consider acclimatisation societies as fit and proper bodies to control our wild-life, hut with this I cannot agree. After all. these societies are nothing mere or less than shooting and fishing clubs deriving almost all their revenue from licences, so they can hardly be expected to spend time or money in other spheres. Besides it is,a well-known fact that a shooting man seldom learns very much about the habits of wild creatures. With reference to the "hawk" destruction Mr. Dobson mentions, it is as well to remember that any activities taken in this connection are done so because, should the harrier become too common, it may prove detrimental to game birds, etc.. and not because of damage it may do to our other native species. Further, as so many of our indigenous land birds are forestdwellers. the harrier is scarcely a serious enemy to them. On the other hand, T do not consider the Native Bird Protection Society a suitable governing body, either. One cannot but admire their objects and enthusiasm, but unfortunately they have yet to advance a sound scheme for conservation. Their idea seems to be to aHow everything to run riot, whereas some species must be definitely restricted in numbers. Finallv, "Y. Blunder's" remarks about the Hon. Mr. Parry declining to allow museums to collect native birds. Broadly speaking, this is an admirable stand, hut we must not lose sight of the fact that the shooting fraternity " collect " more specimens than all the museums put together would need. The only sane solution appears to be a "fauna control board" consisting of field naturalists, scientists and representatives of the societies already mentioned. Conserve.