ACCLIMATIZATION

Southland Times, Issue 20903, 12 October 1929, Page 7

ACCLIMATIZATION

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

EXTRACTS FROM REPORT.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, October 11

The following are extracts from a report on a deputation which waited upon the Minister of Internal Affairs regarding a matter concerning acclimatization societies.

When speaking to a deputation regarding bird life, the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle said that he had given permission for an open season for paradise duck in the south. He had first consulted the Acclimatization Society and Mr J. Gilkison had assured him that an open season would do no barm for there were plenty of duck in the back country. Major Mackenzie (Queenstown) had told him that an open season had the effect of increasing duck for when they were not molested, they went on to grain and laid their eggs in the fields, but did not hatch them; but when they were shot at, they went into the back country and hatched their eggs. Regarding pukeko, Mr 0. H. Tripp said that Southland people had sent up a letter from a Gore solicitor, who said that a client of his had been troubled with pukeko and had resolved to poison them. It was all very fine to say prosecute him, but he knew his job and could lay poison in such a way that he could claim that he was poisoning rabbits. Mr Perrelle said that he thought that sportsmen sometimes persuaded farmers to write to the Acclimatization Society saying that pukeko were causing destruction so that sportsmen c.ould go shooting without any regard for the bird life of the country'. Speaking of fresh water fish, Mr Perrelle said that they had taken Atlantic salmon fry from Lake Te Anau and had put them in the Wanganui River to test them, but after five years, they had done no good. While he was expected to attend to such matters, they came under the control of the Marine Department, but they were trying to get that remedied. The question of an opossum trap which would catch animals without killing them was also discussed afid Mr Tripp said that they expected to try such a trap in Southland shortly.