FRIEND OR FOE?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 234, 2 October 1929, Page 15

FRIEND OR FOE?

THE NEW ZEALAND SHAG DIET BEING CLOSELY WATCHED Is the shag a friend or foe to trout in New Zealand streams? Does his diet consist of eels or trout? Quite an animated discussion was occasioned by these questions at the acclimatisation conference at Wellington. Mr F. Mogridge (Marlborough) said that shags in his district preyed upon eels towards the mouth of the rivers, -but upon the upper reaches they undoubtedly took to trout. Mr P, Beck (Grey) said that shags had been shot in his district which were full of trout, up to nine inches long. They were the biggest problem which had to bo faced in the Grey district. An Auckland delegate explained that in his district they organised shooting parties, which had disposed of as many as 700 shags in a day* There was no doubt shags destroyed an enormous number of trout. Mr F. Nash (Waimate) said that it would be impossible for the large num-

be. of shags in the country to live exclusively upon trout. If there did there would not be a solitary trout in New Zealand rivers. Mr P. Lumley (Tauranga) said he had seen shags kill crayfish. He held that the only harmless shag was the dead one. The president (Mr L. O. H. Tripp) said that what was wanted was an impartial investigation to discover just what diet shags existed upon. Investigations were being proceeded with, and in due course reports would bo forthcoming from the various districts.