OPOSSUMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18175, 21 February 1921, Page 7

OPOSSUMS

OPEN SEASON TO BE DECLARED. ■ LICENSES TO BE ISSUED. ORCHARD AREAS TO BE DECLARED. i ■■■ ROYALTY TO BE CHARGED. (From Our Own Correspondent/) WELLINGTON. February 19. During the past session of Parliament an amendment of the Animals Protection Act of 1906 was passed, making provision for the issue of regulations relative to the taking of opossums and the disposal of the skins of those animals, and in connection therewith the Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Internal Affairs) directed that, a conference ■ be held of those interested with a view of drawing up adequate, regulations in order to give protection to opossums, and at the same time to enable orchardists to destroy them in orchard areas. A preliminary conference, presided over by the Minister, was held in (Wellington in December last, when, tentative .regulations were drawn up, and it was decided that a committee be appointed to meet in Dunedin with a view of consulting primarily those interested in the opossum skin industry. This committee subsequently reported to the conference, which again met yesterday, and finally approved of, the proposals. The conference consisted of Messrs MTntosh and. Tripp, as representatives o£ the Otago and Wellington Acclimatisation Societies ; Professor Kirk, whose very valuable report on these animals was presented to Parliament last session; Mr Shelton, secretary of the Fruitgrowers’ Association; Mr Stewart, of Messrs Mooney and Co., skin importers and furriers, Dunedin, together with representatives of the Forestry, Lands, Agriculture, Customs, Police, and,, Internal Affairs Departments. It 'is proposed by regulations to declare an open season during the month of June in the present year, and the necessary provision • has been made for the issue of licenses, and in order to prevent illicit trading in opossum skins, all such skins ' (proposed to be disposed of for gain must be sold through a licensed broker. It is further proposed to require a royalty of one shilling on every skin sold by the ( broker, and registers are required to be kept containing particulars regarding opossum • skins.» Provision has been made for payment to, the, Acclimatisation Society in whose district the opossums were taken of such proportion of fees, fines, and royalties as may be decided by the Governor-in-Council. No person shall export opossum skins without the prior consent of the Under-secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs. It was realised that there were a number of opossum skins in possession of dealers and others, and in order to make provision for such skins, without inflicting any hardship on the possessore, it will be necessary for all such persons to declare to the Under-secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs the number of such skins, which will be stamped by an officer duly appointed for that purpose. A- considerable amount of time was given to tho question, of authorising orchardists to kill or destroy opossums in orchards, and in orchard areas, and it was finally decided to allow the occupier of any registered orchard, under, the Orchard ‘and Garden Diseases Act, to kill opossums in such orchard, but as ,it was recognised that it would to necessary, itj order to cope with opossums, to allow them to be taken in the immediate vicinity of orchards, it was .decided to define orchard areas, and to permit any rcgfltcTcd orebardist. or bona fide employee of such orebardist, to take or kill opossums in any such defined area, such skins may,only be disposed of for sale through a registered broker. In the : os® of any person desiring to retain opcssunr skins taken by him for his own use, such person must nay a royalty of one shilling on each skin. In receiving the report of the conference, the Hon. Mr Anderson expressed his appreciation of the work clone by the conference. and trusted that the result of the' deliberation would enable orchardists to protect their orchards against depredations bv opossums, and at tho same time protect those animals in areas outside orchard districts. as it was realised, that the opossum industry, though yet in its infancy in this dominion, might in time be built up into one of great, monetary importance, and. owing to the large tracts of country in different parts of the dominion which wore quite r.nsuited for settlement purposes, he limned that the time would comp when such areas would become practical fur-tearing areas, and producing largo revenues for the benefit of the dominion as a whole.