SETBACK FEARED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21553, 16 January 1940, Page 7

SETBACK FEARED

Acclimatisation Society

Effect Of Minister’s Proposals

Strong Protest Made

The South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society would suffer a severe financial setback from the loss of shooting licences if the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, instituted his proposals to curtail the coming season and to introduce a close season in 1941 for duck shooting, said Mr J. McDonald, chairman of the Council of the Society, last night at a special meeting held to consider the Minister’s proposals. The meeting decided to protest to the Minister, the secretary being instructed to forward to Mr Parry a motion embodying that protest and the reasons for it. The chairman said that with curtailment in the coming season 50 per cent of the licences would be lost, the value to the Society being about £l2O. . In 1941 shooting licences would not be . taken out and that would mean the 1 loss of a further £240. As fishing ; licences were certain to drop owing to , the war, the Society was likely to lose I more than £4OO in the next two years ; if the Minister’s proposals came into ' The motion stated that, in regard to ’ the proposals of the Minister of Internal Affairs for a restricted season | followed by a close season in 1941 for ■ duck shooting, the South Canterbury ; Acclimatisation Society Council would j like to point out that the quantity of game in the various districts differed ! to such an extent that a general regu- | lation covering the whole of New | Zealand would operate harshly in some I districts. The effect would be most . notable in South Canterbury, where a | large number of reports collected from i all parts of the territory showed that ducks were more than holding their own. That was owing to the fore- ; sight of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society in curtailing the length of the season over the last 10 years and in reducing the allowable bag from 25 to 10. The South Canterbury Society therefore strongly protested against any curtailment of the shooting season as applied to the district, and even more strongly against a close season in 1941. The motion concluded by stating that, unlike more favoured acclimatisation districts ’ which had pheasant and quail on ■ which to fall back, South Canterbury had only ducks for shooting. Ranger’s Report During the present game breedingseason he had examined the places where grey duck and the Mallard duck nested, reported the ranger, Mr F. W. Pellett. The dry season for 1939-40 had been most favourable to successful hatching. Large clutches of young ducks were common, and he had seen as many as 14 ducklings following a mother in the Seadown district. He had been in touch with land owners who had ponds and breeding-grounds for dheks, and they assured him that game were more than holding their own. “My observations are that game will never be reduced to a minimum in South Canterbury,” continued Mr Pellett. “Reasons are: (1) “Most of the game breeding ground and shooting ponds are situated too near to the coastline and when shooting commences the ducks go out to sea at daybreak and return at dusk. That was especially so from Washdyke to the Rangitata. The only factor which would prevent it would be very rough weather. During the last 10 years, each opening day has been calm and in favour of ducks going to sea. To make sure the contention was right, I wrote to the manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, asking if he and his pilots on the mail ’planes -would observe. I received a letter saying that there were hundreds of ducks on the sea. This observation was made during the first week of the shooting season. (2) “The bag limit of 10 birds and a reduction of from three months to two months has been a decided factor in favour of the birds. (3) “There are virtually three game sanctuaries in a radius of 40 miles; viz., Washdyke, Major Johnson and Mrs Harrison’s dam, so that it does not take a duck long to fly to a place of safety. (4) “Another factor that will go to conserving game is the abolition of pond feeding.” While curtailment or close seasons might be needed in some districts, the Government should find out what districts needed protection and what districts did not need curtailment or close seasons, continued Mr Pellett. South Canterbury, situated as it was geographically, was much more favoured for conservation of game than Central Otago or some North Island lands, and with the total number of licenceholders as compared with Otago or Christchurch, the death rates could not be compared. In conclusion his idea was that each district should be separately investigated and after the facts were obtained, regulations made to suit each particular district. Measures Already Taken From the ranger’s report it could be seen that ducks were increasing in number in all parts of South Canterbury with only one or two exceptions, said the chairman. The Minister desired adequate and efficient ranging and without two rangers in South Canterbury the ranging would not live up to that ideal owing to the size of the district. If the money from shooting licences was lost the Society would possibly have to give up one ranger. Mr E. Macdonald repeated the difficulties that would arise in South Canterbury if the Minister’s proposals came into effect and suggested the motion which was finally passed unanimously. Mr H. S. Ellis said that the North Canterbury Society intended to call a meeting of all shooting men in that area to meet the Minister of Internal Affairs, and he had been informed that representatives of other South Island Societies would probably be invited to attend. The chairman was appointed to attend the meeting if an invitation was received.