GOOD-BYE TO OUR BIRDS

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16750, 17 March 1926, Page 8

GOOD-BYE TO OUR BIRDS

PROTECTION SOCIETY PROTESTS. THE FRANCE EXPEDITION. A vigorous protest against the. term of (he -warrant granted by the Hon. R. F. Bollnrd. Minister nf Internal Affairs, lo the Whitney Collecting Expedition on the yacht France, (which recently called at LyttoUon, Mr Beck in rharse) is made by Mr E. V. Sanderson, hon. secretary nf the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society. Mr Sanderson, in a letter covering the correspondence with the Minister, says that "if what is happening Is going to be a precedent thin it is good-bye to our birds."

A Hint from America. Mr Sanderson states that among other warnings, the following hint was received by the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society from an eminent authority on our birds now resident in America : "At. Ihe big Museum of Comparative Zoology at. Harvard they have the customary belief, held very strongly, that all the indigenous birds of New Zealand are doomed, and that all attempts should be made to collect more while there is yet lime. It is extraordinary how strong this feeling is. Personally I think we shall yet be in time to conserve all the. species that now remain." The New Zealand Society in July last warned the authorities to this effect, and when a newspaper report was read recently, stating that the vessel France was here from America with the object or observing our bird life, suspicion arose, that, it was lo be observed over the sight of a shot gun. The Department was promptly communicated with, asking them to put an officer on board to represent New Zealand if any collector's permit was contemplated. Then it was ascertained that a warrant to kill a most extravagant number of birds (816) had been issued, and the expedition was to operate without any supervision. The society's committee protested with vigour, both by letter and personally, to the Minister, who has now despatched the museum officer, who was mainly responsible for recommending such an extravagant warrant, to accompany the expedition, and laid down his policy as to future issuing of collectors' permits.

Publication of Warrant Refused. The society has been given a copy of the warrant granted, but permission to publish it has been refused. Some information as to its contents is given in a letter written to the Under-Secre-tary for Internal Affairs by Mr Sanderson, who contended that provision should have been made, at the killing party's expense, to ensure that all killing parties were officially accompanied. Mr Sanderson wrole: —• "That an extensively equipped foreign collecting expedition on such a scale and witli permission to kill ttie extravagant number of birds allowed should be given entirely unrestricted liberty, except by a few valueless written conditions, amongst our birds, some of which are on ttie verge of extinclion, is unthinkable, a slur on the regard which the people of New Zealand arc evincing in the welfare of their heritage, the care of which is entrusted to your Department. Your action is also a slight to the operations of this society, and it seems idle and hypocritical for us to continue further work and collect subscriptions from school children and others in the face of such Departmental lassitude. We think,' moreover, it would .only have been courtesy had you consulted us before issuing permits to-destroy any of the extremely rare species included in the list to be killed, as for instance the Chatham Island Bell Bird, Auckland Island Duck, Chatham Island Fern Bird and Pigeon, Sand-plover (ten is out. of all reason), Chatham Island Snipe, Soul hern Merganser, and half a dozen other species which are on the verge of extinction and should not have been allowed to be killed under any circumstances whatever. Some little scientific information of interest to a few may lie gleaned, but at the possible extermination uf some species the skins of which will be then of more monetary value lo the Americans, in whose possession they will be. The numbers permitted lo be destroyed are quite in excess of scientific requirements, and clearly indicate the purpose for which they arc required." No Objection to an Official. In reply to this the Under-Secretary wrote that Mi- Beck intimated that, while he would personally have no objection to an official accompanying the expedition, he at ttie same lime pointed out that he was not at all certain of his movements, and ttiat he might, if the weather was unfavourable in the south, go across lo Tasmania. "In connection with your request for permission to publish the, permit, issued to Mr Beck, I have to state for your information that in Hie course of an interview Sir Thomas Mackenzie had some little lime ago with Sir Francis Bell, in Hie Hon. Mr Bollard's absence, the question of publicity was brought up, but it was then decided that while a copy of any permit issued would lie forwarded lo your society, it was very undesirable that publicity should be given lo the issue of the permit. It is regretted, therefore, that authority cannot lie given to you lo publish the permit in question."

Mr Sanderson, in a further letter to the Under-Secretary, said lhat the society was protesting against any collecting party, especially foreigners, being given an unsupervised hand.

'•The departmental cold-water altitude is sincerely deplored when cooperation was anlieipaled. How can we proceed further and ask New /calenders to protect their native birds—■ for American museums?" Futuro Safeguards. The Minister was interviewed later, and in a subsequent letter he stated: "I have decided that in future permits which may be issued to visitors lo (he Dominion lo take native birds will be issued only on Ihe condition that an officer of Ihe museum or oilier Government officer having a knowledge of native birds will accompany the expedition, and that his expenses must he borne by the person or persons to whom authority may he granted. In addition to the above I have directed that in cases where permits may be granted to residents in Ihe Dominion to lake or kill native birds for collections, such permits will only be granted lo Ihe individual, and not, as in Hie past, to Ihe individual or lo his servants acting under his written authority. This, of course, does not apply to castas where il is necessary lo grant authority lo destroy birds committing damage or injury lo property."

In a further letter Ihe Minister stales:—"With regard to the question of limiting collections of birds to only necessary seienlifle requirements. I have lo slate that 1 have laid down Ihe rule lhat permits to lake absolutely protected birds are only to be granted where specimens are for museum purposes, or for private collectors whose collections are available I'm' museum purposes. This authority does not necessarily include our rare birds, as (Continued at foot of next column.)

authoritv to take them is only granted in special cases where it is considered necessary, and the authority, unless the circumstances warrant it, would only be issued to a Government offlccr " Destruction of Rare Birds. In a final letter Mr Sanderson says: "With reference to the numbers and species of birds named in ihe warrant issued to Mr Heck, it has been conceded that some species are plentiful, but others arc down to possibly ten, twentv, fitly or perhaps a hundred in various instances, according to prominent authorities. Now, two or four out of ten is a lot to give to foreigners, and ten Sand-plover or two Southern' Merganser are a lot, besides other instances. It is feared the Department is not fully aware of the great effect collecting has had in exterminating rare birds, planls, etc., the world over. II must be remembered also that collecting is by no moans confined to legal practices, as our conservation laws are not enforced. On lop of the non-enforcement of the Act, foreigners are given permission to take a hand in the destruction of our native birds. Under such circumstances, and willi the controlling bodies encouraging exploitation and reluctant to spend money on conservation, can it be considered out of place thai it is the opinion of many American museum authorities that our birds are doomed, and it is lime lo 1111 up witli specimens err it is too late?"