KERMADEC ISLANDS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1933, Page 12

KERMADEC ISLANDS

NATIVE FLORA AND FAUNA. A SANCTUARY DECLARED. By an Order-in-Council recently gazetted the Kermadec Islands, with the exception of 275 acres on Raoul or Sunday Island, are set apart temporarily .as a reserve for the preservation of native fauna and flora. This has been done under a provision in the Land Act, 1924, permitting any Crown lands to be so set apart, notwithstanding that they are held under pastoral licence. It is believed that this protective action has been taken on account of schemes promoted in Sydney on various occassions, and as recently as last year, for occupying Sunday Island, which is rugged but very fertile and has an area of 7200 acres, in order to use ‘it for stock-raising and the production of bananas and other tropical fruit. Members of a family named Bell lived on the island for a long period many years ago. Later another party endeavoured to settle there, but without success, and the group is uninhabited at present. The outlying islands are small and almost inaccessible.

The Kermadecs are of much interest to scientists, since they are an isolated biological unit, forming part of the New Zealand region. Being 600 miles from Auckland, a little more than half the distance to Tonga, the islands have a fauna and flora closely relate to that of New Zealand, but modified by the warmer climate. They possess a species of tui and a parrakeet that are found nowhere else, and a native variety of pohutukawa which can be raised successfully in New Zealand. Several scientific expeditions have visited the group, including a large one, which spent 10 months there in 1908 and published very full reports upon the plant and other life of the islands. Mr. A. T. Pycroft, on behalf of the Auckland Institute and Museum went there on the last visit made by a Government steamer several years ago.

Unfortunately, goats have thrived on the luxuriant vegetation of Sunday Island and have done much damage to plant life. The gazetting of a sanctuary enables the Government to undertake their destruction, should it ever feel the trouble and expense to be warranted.