Commission Recommends Changed System of Wildlife Control

Forest and Bird, Issue 171, 1 February 1969, Page 6

Commission Recommends Changed System of Wildlife Control

A NATIONAL Wildlife Service, as a separate division of the Department of Lands and Survey, has been recommended as the executive arm of a proposed National Wildlife Commission to deal with all aspects of wildlife management and research.

THE recommendation has been made by the Commission of Inquiry into the Organisation of Wildlife Management and Research in New Zealand in a report issued recently. The commission, which consisted of Mr J. K. Hunn, Wellington, chairman, Dr R. K. Dell, Wellington, and Mr R. F. Stead, Amberley, has recommended’ that a Minister in Charge of Wildlife be appointed to ensure co-ordinated advice to the Government on wildlife policy and related financial matters. Another recommendation is that a threeman commission of a Commissioner of Wildlife as chairman, a Director of Wildlife Research, and a Director of Wildlife Management should be appointed by the State Services Commission. . It is also suggested that the DirectorGeneral of Forests and the Director-General of Lands should be additional statutory members of the commission as and when necessary to deal with important aspects of noxious animals policy.The Commission of Inquiry suggests that a representative Wildlife Advisory Council should be established by statute, with an independent chairman, to advise , the Minister and the Commission. Department of Lands and Survey Best Choice Finding that at least 54 organisations are concerned with aspects of wildlife, the commission says four departments—Forest Service, Internal Affairs, Lands and Survey, and Marinewere competing for the honour of servicing the wildlife organisation. The commission says: "The Department of Lands and Survey’s advantages are paramount in its control of fauna protection reserves.

ownership of wildlife habitat, and potentiality as a base for developing a National Parks and Wildlife Services, including noxious animal control policy.” The commission recommends that New Zealand' should be divided into four wildlife conservancies based on Rotorua, Palmerston North, Christchurch, and Dunedin, each with its own conservator and staff, and that the conservancies should be subdivided into a minimum of wildlife districts as rational ecological units, about 16 in all. Acclimatisation Societies Should be Renamed It recommends that the acclimatisation societies should be renamed fish and game societies and that their statutory functions should be transferred to the National Wildlife Commission. The societies should be encouraged- to amalgamate to form one society in each wildlife district and the federation of rod and gun clubs in each of the three Government acclimatisation districtsßotorua, Taupo, and Southern —should be invited to consider whether they would convert to fish and, game societies to fit in with the new order. The commission recommends that the transition to the proposed new organisation of wildlife management and research should be phased over several years. It is suggested a representative Wildlife Advisory Council should be established by statute, with an independent chairman, to advise the Minister and the commission. Research Work The commission recommends that research work on certain species of animals should be transferred from the Marine Department, the

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Department of Internal Affairs to the Nationaid Wildlife Service. It suggests that the National Wildlife Commission should receive all revenue from fishing and shooting licences, assume liability for all expenditure (except any incurred by

societies), and pay an annual grant to societies of some $3,000. Noting the possibility of the need to increase licence fees, the commission recommends that this question should be examined and discussed with the four proposed federations.