Complete Protection For Notornis

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1948, Page 9

Complete Protection For Notornis

■ 1 . V. r X, • WELLINGTON, VeS, 1. • ' As promised earliex by tHe Ministerof Lands, MitiSkinner, in- the Houso pf; jRepresentativea/ aii fimendment to th'S. Reserves and- Other 'Landa Di^osal Bili was introdueed in the. LeglslatiVd Couneil- tdday settin'g, aaide , a . 'Speeial; area of 438,000 acfes -i'n the -Sounds (Fiordland) NatipnalyPafk as a aaiictua'ry fpr the' recratly Tediscovered notorhis. - .The area set aside" jies betiveen Lhkes Manapouri and ' Te Anau and the Waiau River. . Any'pefson Who enters or remains in'fchis speeial area except under ' authority ofT ..writteh permit from the v ■■ Comniissioner- of Crown Lands or offieer acting for him, shall liahle . on sum,mar.y ccrhvjotion; to a fine not expeeding_" j£16Q. -rAiiy.' person who> witliout •Yhis^ ■*'. written^ :epn:L sent of the .Ministe'r of ' La^s/ takes, ordestroys or wilfully. injuries or, iit ah/. mahner disturbs or ihtefferes. 'with; anybird or nest or egg of ' any. bird:; ih the, aroa, will jieUiable to.a hn'e hot exceeding £10,0- or." to- thfep .month-'s imprison1--. ment or a fine .and impTisohmpnL',./Ahy.!: constable- or a'uthprisOd. bftloer ^ of the." Public Sbrpice- . niay kpniiharijy 'J.htef-'; f ere to preVeht .any sueh' Unte'rf ere'ncewith Bir dsj nests ;6r. eggs,.' '^hy fpe'rsph; withifi '.tlie- specihl ar.ea 'or lh* i-te .yihui{ :ity, found ifi ppasiessibhY of' ahy/' bird^ egg pr nest'} whoYails "6r*:refuses'1|b- .give--a satisfactpry aec6iiht oi', how it cariie*' intp his "p6.sSession> ';sliali:'be deemed' to have talcen:. it ilnlaWfully unless- he satisfies the'Cpuft to 'the lcontrary, Any information in ' respect of any offence under this claus'e .hiay be laid at- .any time within four ;years of -the' last day of the. year in ,which ^i§ , offence-. ]Br5ts. comini,tte.di ]>, .Thege prb visipns ..a'rje*. rin*;ad^ dition' to -ahd not iir- ..jeubhtituilph^ ioi. existing regi^latid^. Lor .th;e-- prptepiipnV of flprh .and. fiau^'a, , ' •* v. V-''''" The Leader of the- Cpuneil, Hoh. D. Wilson, said the provisions - w'ere hot too severe for' any person; .who int'eT-; ftfred wi4h the birds. .. . • Hon. T. Bloodworth ( Auekland) said the clause was hot.. stringent ' enoug'h and was -ve'ry yague. He said ihe.prbteetipn giveii, to nofornis should apply ( throughout New'-Zealand. and not jfistwithin the speeial Area "or. its -vicinity. Certain people would, pay .tremhitdo.us-. sums for a .bird or:egg-, bht as the- clause was wprded,1 theyf w.ould' not be law'- , breakers if found With a bird or egg.'in their possession .in Auckland.'-. - Hon. F. Waite (Balciutha) said the greatest danger to the birds tyould be from expeditions Ostensibly unde,r the auspices of the Interhal'Affairs Depart'-: ment, particularly if 'those expeditions included Ameriean scientists. American'' scientists had been cpllecting birds on the southern outposts recently and he did not know how many they had sent out of the country; '-'I wouid hot like to ste provision niadc for th'ese people, however eminent they are;" said Hon. Walte. If Americans took all the wapiti from Fiordland they would. be doing a seryiee to Lew Zealahd, but if. they took a,bird skin or egg they woulcj do New Zealand roal injury. He wan.t-, ed to throw the sp'otlight on official co'i-. lcctors for museums- and to see that th# birds wero really protected. Hon. M, Connelly (Dunedin) said numberk'ftf people visiting thie;"'iarea! might aifect the bTeeding of the notornis.