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Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1929, Page 4

A question was asked in the House of Parliament last week by the Member for Timaru (Mr C. L. Carr) what steps were proposed by the Government to be taken with regard to' developing the opossum trapping industry, particularly in South Westland. The question of further liberation of opossums, the Hon Minister of Internal Affairs replied, was under consideration, and a scientific investigation is being conducted with a view to determining whether the opossum is inimical to bird life. The point raised by the Minister is a well-known evergreen. The facts of the case are that opossums have been in this district for many years now, and bird life is far from extinct. It did and has suffered over a period, but the opossum is not blameable for that. Enemies such as stoats and weasels (which are protected) and bushrrats * are mainly responsible. Bird-life has also gone back further inland because of the depletion of the forest, and the invasion of their former haunts by bushmen’s camps. The belief of trappers who have studied the matter closely and had the fullest opportunity for doing so, is that trapping has been helpful to the saving of bird-life, because in the course of operations many hundreds of stoats and weasels and bush rats are trapped and so exterminated; Some small percentage of the ground birds have also been caught in the traps, but the number is very few. On the other side of the ledger is the great economic value of the opossum. Some thousands are being trapped in the district annually. Upwards of 100 men at least must be employed trapping, and earning good wages season by season. And of course, the; industry is only in its infancy. Opossums were liberated only between the Teremakau and Kokatahi rivers, and the bulk of the catch is between these two rivers, but of late, the opossum has been spreading south, and has reached as far as Inter-Wanganui. There is of course a vast range of territory in the south district where the opossum would soon flourish if liberated. The climate is such as to ensure a good fur and return a payable price for trapping. The economic value of the. industry, in providing lucrative employment for a great many trappers is such that the Government should be urged to take a favourable view of the matter and grant leave to have the opossum liberated in special areas in the south.