SHAG DRIVE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 69, 20 August 1947, Page 5

SHAG DRIVE

WHALE AND RAURIMU ISLANDS GUN CLUB’S EXCURSION During the war years and for the post-war period when ammunition supplies were low, little was done to cheek the shag population which infects our rivers and preys on the trout. So serious has this menace become that the Whakatane Rod and Gun Club in conjunction with the Department of Internal Affairs organised a weekend attack on the nesting places on the Whale and Raurimu Islands. Every year the shags retire to cliff faces and other inaccessible parts of the islands, where they build their huge evilsmelling nests and raise their young. From these islands the shags sally forth and raid our local rivers. The actual number of trout killed by shags must amount to an impressive figure, and trout 1-Jlbs in weight have been disgorged by wounded shags. Operations on the two islands proved very successful. A party of four guns under the supervision of Ranger K. E. Francis killed 146 •shags on the Raurimus, whilst another party shooting on the Whale added another 32 making the tally 178 for the day. On the Raurimus nests, eggs and young birds were destroyed, but on the Whale the inaccessibility hampered the destruction of the nests and a poorer tally resulted. Taking into account eggs destroyed it is estimated a further potential population of at least 200 were wiped out. Anglers throughout the district will appreciate the value of this drive and will be grateful to the shooters who contributed their time and cartridges towards destroying one of the trout’s most serious ene-

mies. It is understood that another trip along similar lines will be organised in about a month’s time and Gun Club members will once again be asked to mobilise for another attack.