ACCLIMATISATION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5500, 13 November 1929, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION.

THE OHINEMURI SOCIETY. MEETING OF COMMITTEE. At a meeting of the committee of the Ohinemuri Acclimatisation Society on Saturday evening last Mr J. Hamilton, president, presided over Messrs J. Dickson, E. Edwards, C. C. Millar, A. North-Szigetvary, and D. Leach j(hon. secretary). Opossums. In a letter to the society the Conservator of Forests stated that so far no announcement had been made as to whether there would be an open season for opossums in the Paeroa district, but applications could be put in at any time and would be placed on record. He assured that no allocation of areas would be made until the local representative of the society had been notified. The secretary stated that the society had now something definite to go on ; there would be no allocations without consulting the Ohinemuri body. Those who wished to make application should do so now, so that they could go on record. Mr Leach also said there was a feeling in the Auckland Council that, provided Professor Kirk’s report on the question was satisfactory, it would undertake extensive stocking of the whole Coromandel peninsula with opossums. If that came about no trapping would be allowed for some years, and private lands as well as sanctuaries would be closed. Opossums would only be trapped for liberation in other districts. He considered that the revenue arising from opossum farming would be ten times as large as from ordinary farming. The secretary's actions in connection with the opossum question were heartily endorsed by the meeting. Bird Sanctuary. The president’s motion that the next lot of birds be released in the Waitawheta area provided the properties were gazetted sanctuaries was agreed to. It was also decided to make representations to the next annual meeting that the Rotokohu sanctuary remain closed for another season at least. Two lots of birds had been released there, and it was thought that they should have at least two years’ freedom. By that time the Waitawheta should be well stocked as a sanctuary.

Commenting on the Waitawheta proposal, the president said that as one side of the proposed sanctuary would probably soon be declared a scenic reserve, and as on the other was a fine type of settler, it should be an ideal area for a sanctuary. It was decided to endeavour to have closed the properties of Messrs NeSbit and Walton, adjoining the Karangahake sanctuary. General. The secretary reported that the ova tank scheme for stocking the Waitawheta had been dropped this year ; two pheasants reared from eggs by Mrs White, of Mackaytown, purchased by the Auckland Society and presented to the Ohinemuri body, had been released by Mr Hamilton at Karangahake; and 69 shooting licenses were issued last season.