Plan For Govt. Bounty On Keas Rejected

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 9

Plan For Govt. Bounty On Keas Rejected

The annual conference of high country subsections of Federated Fanners in Umaru on Monday turned down a remit from the HawardenAmur! sub-section seeking payment by the Government of a bounty for destruction of keas. Mr C. A. Nurse, of Hawarden who introduced the remit,' said that they were paying 7s 6d a beak and in addition, the county council was paying 7s 6d. The fanners felt that with all the national parks the Government should also be paying something. Mr M. V. Prouting, of Rangitata Gorge, said that the important thing was to be allowed to kill the keas. Then it was a case of paying a worthwhile bounty to station employees to destroy them. He had started paying his men 20s a beak, and after the: kill in the first year, he hadj nof had*a real kea problem.

Previously, upwards of 1000 sheep had been killed in one year, primarily by keas. The chairman (Mr P. C. Ensor) said he would not like to see the remit passed. Keas were native birds and New Zealand was short enough of these. The chance of getting Government assistance in this direction would be slight, he said. He was sympathetic with those living near national parks, but there was already the right to kill the keas if they were interfering with stock. Mr C. R. Scott (Wakatipu) said that most of their sheep had died from blood poisoning after being attacked by keas. Inoculation of sheep against blood poisoning had reduced these losses.

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