NATURE—AND MAN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 21, 3 November 1944, Page 3

NATURE—AND MAN

GOATS—AND OTHER GOATS

MENACE TO NATIVE FORESTS

(By Leo Fanning)

When shooters employed by the Department of Internal Affairs, were waging" successful war on deer in the native forest sanctuaries of Southland another prospective enemy came in isight. Some persons took goats to the, beautiful island— destructive, nimble, animals Avhich may cscapc into the woodlands as tlicj' have" done on the slopes of Mt. and from pastures below the mountains, of Wellington Marlborough and some other districts. The Southland Acclimatisation. Society is hopeful that the Department of Internal Affairs may be able to outlaw those goats which were foisted on to Stewart Island but J the Department's powers do> not extend to goats kept on private, property. When the pests have strayed and gone "wild the departmental fire is turned upon them and another nuisance deer. The Department— much to its regret—can come in only after the mischief of the vagrant goats has begun. Hope in a New Act Happily there is scope for effective control 01 goats, in ..some provisions of the. Soil Conservation arid Rivers Control Act which has faireaching power to prevent stupidity or ignorance from having disastrous sway. To prevent or check erosion or to promote soil conservation or the control of floods. Catchment Boards are empowered to make by-laws "restricting or regulating the use of land for agricultural or pastoral purposes'' and for "prohibiting the doing on or in respect of land of any act or thing 'which may be likely to facilitate soil erosion or floods." For those purposes regulations may be. made to cover any area (such as Stewart Island) which i& not within a catchment district. These powers could put a ban on the keeping of goats on any land from which they could escape to high forested country and so "facilitate soil erosion." Huge Hordes of Goats Extensive areas of Marlborough high country } up from the Clarence Ure and Awaterc Rivers and away to the west, have been ravaged by goats. At the request of runholuers in 1937 who agreed to pay a bounty of 1/- a tail the Department of Internal Affairs turned parties- of riflemen on to the hordes of goats. The tally for one year was about which included 2000 on one big estate. In 1940 there was a similar campaign ivhich brought death to 16 000 goats.

In the ordinary coursc of their work in various areas the Department's deer-killers shoot goats. Threat to Taranaki Year alter year people of Taranaki are told that the prosperity of their province depends on the safeguarding of Egmoiit's evergreen mantle of forest. Year after year farmers on the lower slopes of. Egmont. continue to keep goats. Their excuse is that the animals browse on blackberry; but every now and then some find their way to more luscious food on the sides of high gullies in which the numerous streams have, their sources. They devour ferns and ether plants which bind the steep surface and the damage is increased by their sharp-edged hooves. Soon outraged nature's resentment is shown in slips. A few years ago t Major Yercx, Director of D.eer Operations told the people of Taranaki to remember the Maori myth about the godship of their noble mountain. The. he said would! 1 be friendly, if they properly respected his mantle. If it was spoilt his. anger would be seen in raging waters 'which would destroy their farmlands. Not with half an ear did Taranaki lis.ten j in the sense of giving heed to the. truth. The goats continue to tug at the mantle. There are occasional sallie.s against the goats but the province will not be safe till the,, men of Taranaki rise in their might and wipe out the enemy with wellplanned persistent war, which the Department of Internal Ail'airs, can help them to carry on to a triumphant finish.