MENACE TO TROUT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1926, Page 16

MENACE TO TROUT.

PARASITE SPREAD BY SHAGS. EXTERMINATION OF BIRDS. ACTIVITY BY GOVERNMENT. Wellington, Monday. Anglers at Rotorua and Taupo have observed lately that the shag, which in a close investigation some time ago was found to be the transmitter of a worm parasite to some of the trout in the lakes, has again begun to increase in numbers. The menace has caused the Department of Internal Affairs to renew its crusade against the birds, and tonight the Hon. R. F. Bollard announced that it had been decided to reintroduce the reward for the destruction of the birds, and that 2s Gd was to be offered per head for those killed in the thermal district and at Lake Waikaremoana.

Information regarding the steps taken in the past to destroy the shag was given by Mr. Bollard. “"When in June, 1907, it was discovered by a scientific investigation that the shag was responsible for the appearance of a worm parasite in some of the trout the Government commenced action against the birds and offered to pay Is per head for all birds destroyed within the Rotorua acclimatisation district,” said the Minister. “Apparently the bonus was not regarded as remunerative, for comparatively few birds were brought in. A further inducement was given to . a number of men by supplying them with free ammunition, but the results were still unsatisfactory. Later men were specially engaged to destroy shaggeries and a reward of 20s per hundred was offered for shags’ eggs. In 1911 the price per head was raised to 2s 6d, with the very satisfactory result that on an average 1000 birds were destroyed annually in the thermal region.”. It was pointed out by the Minister that the results in the past of the raids on the rookeries, specially organised by the department with selected men, had proved so poor that they were discontinued and it was resolved to rely entirely on the bonus system. A further method was adopted by the sending of a departmental officer to the principal shaggeries during the nesting season, to destroy as many eggs and young birds as possible. Many birds were destroyed by that process, but the work proved difficult and not particularly successful, as the shags when disturbed sought fresh haunts.

“The department has reported,” said Mr. Bollard, “that of late the. birds again appear - to be on the increase, and as it is stated .the price of Is 6(1 per head does not pa'y a ny person to go out shooting them, it has, therefore, been decided to again raise the amount to 2s Gd per head in the hope that this increase will bear satisfactory results in the war of extermination on these pests. On this occasion the subsidy is also to be extended to shags killed at Lake Waikaremoana.”