Protection of Opossums.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1922, Page 4

Protection of Opossums.

MENACE TO ORCIIARDISTS AND FARMERS. SIR WALTER BUCHANAN’S VIEW WELLINGTON, Jan. 14.

Claiming to speak- from long oxpenoiice of tlio habits of opossums, Sir Walter Buchanan yesterday told the Legislative Council that the present regulations for the protection of opossums required to he amended for the benefit of settlers who found the animals extremely, destructive on their farms and- in their orchards. In the rough hush districts the opossum might he left alone for the greater part of the year hut in areas when; there was a fair ’amount of settlement it must be kept in check. The regulations, said Sir Walter Buchanan, provided that in the districts covered by the acclimatisation societies the killing of opossums was permitted during «one mouth of the year, subject to the issue of a license costing £2 IBs. Outside that one month no opossum might be killed except in special eir-cumsla-nocs. Burning '.the close season an orohadist with a registered orchard ■ was at liberty to kill any opossum without a permit, provided that the animal was actually in his orchard. He could root, however, kill opossums outside the orchard, although the neighbouring section might be the refuge of hundreds of them. Permission.to kill under these conditions gave the landowner ao relief. Aib ‘dreyton'll the speaker had seen an impressive example of what the destmelive powers of the opossum were- \eij many people thought .that the opossum was'harmless, and that no destruction of any consequence was to be feared from it. The general manager of the New Zealand Fruit Gfow.ers .Federation did not think so. That gentleman had

w fitter! to him in the ’Mowing terms •“ &i, r ,—I. -Ivawe to tlvanik you for your .eiforts .at the .uinjmvl conference of the Agricultural Council' towards .putting a stop to the nuisance of this pest. This federation has been calling the attention .of the Minister of lu.te.mal Affairs to this uiattesr- fox .a long time. The Minister's reply is not considered satisfactory, and .at the -conference hold in May last the following motion was unanimously carried: “That the executive take the necessary steps to cause all protection of opossums to be withdrawn, and the conference pledges itself to support the executive in this matter.’ It is with much regret I learn that the members of the Agricultural Council did not pass the remit brought forward by you, and I can only suppose they were not aware of the real danger of this. pest. 1 shall be glad, to receive the benefit of your advice as to the best measures to ho further taken for the extermination of this pest.’ Sir Walter Buchanan quoted from various sources testimonies to the destructiveness of the opossum when it entered gardens and orchards. He would not, he said, go so far as to advocate the withdrawal of all protection, hut he thought that in the districts where farms, gardens, and orchards were to he found, the owners should be allowed to take more effective measures to safeguard their property, tie hoped that the committee which was to consider the Animals’ Protection and 'Game TWII vfrtfld fall in with his view, and make proposals for the amendment of the present regulations. It had frequently been said that opossums bred slowlyj but they were very numerous in various parts of New Zealand. He was satisfied that the fruit industry was capable of employing very large numbers of workers, and of affording congenial occupation to women and children and persons not in robust health. The demand was being made that the country should produce more. He was sure that unless therisk of loss through the depredations of the opossum was removed. the fruit industry would mot develop as lie believed it could do. Sir Walter Buchanan is one of the members of the committee to which the Animals Protection Bill Ims been referred by the Council.