NATIVE AND IMPORTED GAME.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1933, Page 2

NATIVE AND IMPORTED GAME.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Wanganui newspapers, when referring to the Stratford Acclimatisation Society’s recent meeting, report that “it was decided to strenuously oppose the proposed close season for both native and imported game during 1934.” Mr. E. P. Pridham is reported as having stated at the meeting in question that “the Wanganui society is only trying to further its own little interests, as ducks are the chief game there.” That statement will be dealt with later on in this letter, but I am constrained, at this juncture, to ask whether this remarkable statement emanated from the same Mr. E. P. Pridham who, at a comparatively recent annual meeting of members of the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society, stood up and in all seriousness suggested that the society undertake the task of stirring the ducks off its sanctuaries on the opening day of the shooting season. To this suggestion the chairman, Mr. H.. J. Duigan, dealt out the rebuke that it merited. He concluded his remarks by saying that “rather than be a party to such a proceeding ihe would prefer to vacate the chairmanship.” That reply voiced the mental attitude of all good sportsmen, and I would suggest to Mr. Pridham that acclimatisation work consists more of the introduction and conservation of suitable game , birds and fish; of .. suitable trees and plants to provide food supplies; and the regulation of the toll that shall be levied upon such game and fish, rather than the encouraging of its wholesale slaughter. However, to again refer to Mr. Pridham’s statement, I can unhesitatingly say that pheasants, quail and hares are to be found in most parts of the Wanganui society’s district, but nowhere are they to be seen in anything like the numbers that existed here some ten years ago. This condition of affairs, however, is almost universal throughout the whole of the North Island, and applies equally to. ducks. It is this condition of things that has given impetus to the move towards a general close season. I might add that 724 pheasants have been liberated in this district during the past seven years by the local society, and the total of such birds turned out during the past few days has amounted to 117, which figure is well up to the average for the whole of the period mentioned. Will Mr. Pridham kindly quote the records of the Stratford society for the same period? I regret that the Stratford society should take what appears to us to be a parochial viewpoint in respect to the proposed close season, as the Wanganui Society’s < unanimous motion in favour of such was the outcome of ample outside evidence which had been collected. Actually we had sportsmen who had shot in the Hawera, Wanganui, Wellington and Tokaanu districts on the “first” of the past season present at our meeting when the motion in question was carried, and expressions of opinion had also been obtained from Taupo, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington sportsmen. Incidentally, I am pleased to see by today’s newspapers that the ranger for the Auckland society has reported a marked falling-off in the number of ducks in the wide-flung Auckland, district, and that steps must be taken to remedy ihe position. Personally, I have made a practice, for four years past, of fishing and shooting at Tokaanu, for three weeks during May, and as some 50 to 70 shooting men are usually there on the “first” I have had a unique opportunity of obtaining the views of men who come from almost every corner of the Island, and this year there was an almost universal consensus of opinion that the time had arrived when a close season was essential if our feathered game is to have a chance of recovering from the enormous annual drain that is being levied upon it by sportsmen and vermin. In conclusion, I would appeal to Stratford sportsmen to view the whole question from the wide angle of ultimate benefits to sportsmen of every district throughout this Island. The futility of closing individual districts at odd intervals, as has hitherto been the practice, is obvious, and hence the suggestion for a “national” close season.—l am, etc.,

E. P. V. SEALY. Wanganui, August 11.