OPOSSUMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1759, 26 May 1913, Page 6

OPOSSUMS.

WHAT THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY THINKS. ~ Much against the wish of the Acclimatisation Society, tho Government has removed the protection of opossnms.' Tho council of the society understands that tho Government is making further inquiries into the matter, but in tho meau'timo the opossums are being killed whol©I'sale. The council has been collecting evidence from different parts of New Zealand and from Australia, and is satisfied that tho opossum? should only be allowed .to be killed during the winter months, and that those who kill for sale should pay a license fee. Tho evidence shows:— (1) That the opossums do very little damage and are easily killed. (2) They only rear one young in the year. (3) They billed .in. the winter. When their skins aro valuable, so that unless sanctuaries are set apart, even with allowing three months' killing in the year, they would bo likely to be almost exterminated. Whenever a femalo is killed, the probability will be that a young one is killed also. (i) The. winter Wkina- of the best opossums ara worth up to .£1 apiece. (0) If they are allowed to increase and th« killing regulated, New Zealand will have an additional industry which will give employment to many men during the winter months. The council suggests that in certain fruit districts, if the settlers so desired, the protection should be taken off altogether, but in other districts ths killing should only be allowed during the winter months. In Tasmania, which is a fruit-growing country, the opossums are protected.