WILD LIFE CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 14

WILD LIFE CONTROL

DAMAGE IN FORESTS

A meeting of the New Zealand Wild Life Control Council was held 'on Monday evening in the Dominion Farmers' Institute. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt presided. The following organisations were represented: Forestry League, New Zealand Native Birds Protection Society, New Zealand Institute, Wellm K ton Philosophical Society, Ivew Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Tararua Tramping Club, New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies' f-xecu-tive.

~ Th, e .coml?ittee appointed to summarise the data collected by the various sub-com-mittees had not completed its report, and was granted an extension of time. Considerable discussion took place on the lack ot co-ordination in departmental administration, and the difficulties standing m the way of bringing about a unified control, and some delegates expressed the opinion that the Department of Internal' Attairs was endeavouring to make the best use of the funds at its disposal, and credit was given to the Wellington Acclimatisation Society for past efforts.. It was generally agreed that browsing animals were still far too numerous in the forests. Reference was made to the destruction caused by goats in Egmont £ ark. a T nd in the Fiord districts of the South Island. The depredations of. wild cats, stoat*, and weasels had already almost exterminated ground birds, and urgent steps were necessary if the remnant was to be saved. In some parts of the :Norttt Island the Maoris, -ivho still retain old superstitions, are actually afraid to remain in the bush after dusk because of the number of cats' eyes glistening in the dark.

The meeting decided that one of'the first things to,be done was to extend the representation on the. council to other organisations with a view to securing a much wider association with the general public, and later to enter upon a publicity campaign to tell the people actual facts about the menace to the forests and bud life, and also to impress upon them the economic loss that will undoubtedly follow the alarming spread of insect pests if not dealt with.