Rangitikei Catchment Board Considers Bounty Payments For Opossums

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 April 1950, Page 4

Rangitikei Catchment Board Considers Bounty Payments For Opossums

MARTON, April 27 (SR). A bounty scheme for the destruction of opossums in its district is to be drawn up by the Rangitikei Catchment Board, following a decision reached at the monthly meeting in Marton today. The scheme is being encouraged by the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, which replied to earlier representations made by the board on this subject. The council advised that the Department of Internal Affairs had considered suggestions made by the board. If a payment scheme were to be introduced it was believed that It should be under the control ot the department's wild life branch. It was also suggested that the County be for a defined area, that the application of the scheme be for an announced pre-determined short term as an essential safeguard against ■’Farming’’ the pest and that a system of supervision be applied. “That is encouraging and shows that there is recognition of our representations for a bounty for the destruction of opossums,'' said the chairman, Mr. K. A. Williams (Marton). Mr. A. D. Mair (Taihape): What bounty would be paid out? At ona time we suggested 5s per opossum. The chairman said that at a conference of the New Zealand Catchment Board’s Association this was reduced to Is. The secretary, Mr. M. C. Fenwicke said that one suggestion was that soil conservation funds be used for this purpose. Mr. Mair: That is quite a useful reply from the council, but w'hat about finance? The secretary: We have the money? Mr Mair: But can it be used for the destruction of opossums? The secretary replied that the council's letter inferred that it could be. The chairman commented that the present Minister of Internal Affairs, speaking in the South Island, had said that he was in favour of paying a bounty for the destruction of opossums. Mr. Mair: The next step is to formulate a scheme. Areas to which the scheme would apply also had to be determined, said the secretary. Mr. A. P. Howard (Marton) suggested that the scheme apply to the whole of the Rangitikei Catchment Board’s area. A committee consisting of Messrs. A. H. Marshall (Marton), Howard and Mair was formed to draw up a schema which will contain reasonable safeguards. The committee will also consider a suggestion that the bounty be mor, than one shilling.