THE GAME LAWS OF NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 8226, 23 August 1905, Page 5

THE GAME LAWS OF NEW ZEALAND.

Important Provisions for the Protection of Animals.

Close Seasons for Game.

{Special to Daily Times.)

Press Gallery, Tuesday.

The Animals Protection Bill has been introduced by Sir Joseph Ward with a view to consolidating the law for the protection of animals and for the encouragement of Acclimatisation Societies. The season for killing native and imported game, except deer and godwits, is to begin on May Ist and close on July 31st, but on the written application of a duly registered Acclimatisation Society the season may be further restricted or closed altogether. The game season for deer is to be prescribed from time to time by the Governor in Council. An important paragraph provides that no person shall take or kill any game or native game between the hours of seven p.m. and six a.m. The Governor may notify in which part of a district game is not to be killed. No game must be poisoned or trapped or taken or killed without a license taken out in accordance with the Act. The penalty for taking game without a license is a fine not exceeding £20. The license fee is to be £1. Anyone wishing to sell game must take out a license, the fee payable for such license being £5, and no game-selling license is to be issued to anyone under the age of sixteen years. Anyone killing a hen pheasant will be liable to a fine not exceeding £5. There is a similar penalty for taking or destroying the eggs of game birds. The fee for killing Native game is not to exceed five shillings, but aboriginal natives killing game not for sale need not take out a license. Persons may kill native game on their own land without a license. Sons of land-owners may do likewise. The year 1907, and every third year thereafter, is to be a close season for game (other than deer) and for Native game. The season for killing goclwits is February, March and April. Game and Native game must not be sold out of season, nor held in possession for longer than seven days after the game season. Under a penalty not exceeding £20 game must not be exported from the Colony without the written consent of the Colonial Secretary. Swivel guns are not to be used in the taking of game. Neither shall guns of larger bore than No. 10, or guns exceeding lOlbs in weight, be so used. A trespasser in pursuit of game on private lands is liable to a fine not exceeding £5. No animal, bird, insect or reptile is to be introduced without the consent of the Minister of Agriculture Penalties are provided for landing snakes scorpions or other noxious reptiles, or for introducing or liberating any fox venomous reptile hawk vulture, or other bird of prey not indigenous to the colony. Rangers are to have the powers of constables, and there is a penalty for assaulting or obstructing a ranger. Provision is made for the registration of acclimatisation societies.

The first schedule defines game as fol lows : — Pheasants, Partridges. Grouse, Black-game, Ptarmigan, Quail, Snipe.Plover, Swans, Hares, Antelope, Deer, and imported wild duck of any species.

The second schedule defines native game as follows :---Wild duck of any species, Pied Stilt Plover, Pukeko, Wild Geese, Dotterell, Native Pigeon, Black Swan, Teal, Black Stilt Plover, Curlew, and Kaka,

The birds and animals to be protected are: —Birds: Bell-bird or mocker (makomako), bittern, crow (kokako), blue or mountain duck (whio), crested grebe, white heron (kotuku), huia, kiwi, morepork (ruru), ground parrot (kakapo), saddleback (tieke), slitchbird (ihi), parson-bird (tin). Animals : Opossum, Wallaby.