GAME IN THE PROVINCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 634, 10 April 1929, Page 11

GAME IN THE PROVINCE

GOOD YEAR FOR BIRD AND FISH ACCLIMATISATION WORK l From Our Ou'n Correspondent) HAMILTON, Tuesday. At the annual general meeting of i the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, over which the president. Mr. F. E. McKenzie presided, there was present a good representative attendance of members. General regret was expressed at the death of Mr. F. Moorehouse. who had been in charge of the fisheries at Rotoruu. Members stood in silence. The chairman reported that Hie past year had been most successful, and one that constituted a record for the society. Game in the province had increased wonderfully. the grey duck especially having experienced a record breeding season. Quail had fared better than they had for the past 12 years and had become so plentiful in the Taumai unui district that farmers had threatened to spread poison to limit their number. The pheasant had fared well as also hud hares. A sanctuary had been provided at Clevedon and the experiment had been a sound one and one that was attended with He took the opportunity of thanking all members who had made donations of birds to the society and thus helped in no small degree toward the success of the season. The Mallard duck had not yet proved itself, while the woodcock which were to be imported for game had not yet come to hand. The hawk campaign had been put into effective operation and a marked decrease of this pest effected. In briefly discussing the liberation lof fry, the chairman remarked that i the present system of liberation had not met with the success anticipated. Game had two enemies, he continued, vermin and the man who did not use a gun in a legitimate way. The stoat and the weasel were greater enemies than the hawk, and it was hoped that the law preventing the destruction of stoats and weasels would be revoked. The Minister had promised relief in this direction. Mr. A. C. Savage, in querying the restriction placed on stoats, weasels and hawks in certain rabbit-infested areas, said that the rabbit pest had practically become a thing of the past and the restriction should be removed. It was pointed out by the chairman that the matter had been fully investigated at the Wellington conference when it was thought advisable to make representations to have the restriction removed from those areas only where the rabbit pest was not acute. On condition that a shipment of snipe was ordered from Ceylon. Mr. C. A. Whitney offered to donate £3 toward the cost of the shipment. Ceylon, said Mr. Whitney, was ideal for this tyfre of bird and would fully justify the council importing a number from there. Mr. Whitney’s offer was accepted. It was stressed by Mr. C. A. Whitney that fry should be liberated only in small streams and not thrown away by being liberated in rivers where they were exterminated before having a chance to become established. The pollution of the Waikato River, in the opinion of Mr. S. Saulbrey. was not without serious consequences to fish in the river and he suggested that when the water became cleax again the river should be restocked. The chairman considered that in a short time they could stock the river with fish for the Arapuni lake. Mr. Whitney was in favour of making representations to the Government to have something done to stop the erosion of what he thought .was the crux of the trouble —that sandy cliff on the left-hand side below the spillway at Arapuni. Mr. F. J. E. Moore ridiculed the suggestion that the pollution of the river was attributable to erosion at the point mentioned by Mr. Whitney. The banks of the river for some distance below the dam also played a part in the discoloration of the water. It was moved by Mr. J. Cook, and seconded by Mr. C. A. Whitney, that the society forward a remit to the Government asking that steps be taken to prevent the further discoloration of the "Waikato River. By sending such a remit to the Government. it would, said Hr. F. H. Pinfold, only hold the society up to ridicule Anyone who knew anything oi the ’Arapuni undertaking would not entertain such a request to the Govern - It was decided to circularise all subsocieties to ascertain how much eyed ova and fry they would require for their respective districts. The election of officers resulted as follows: Committee. Messrs. R- -ii. Bartley T S. Withers. S. Saulbrey, and Dr.’ F. D. Pinfold; auditors, Thomson and Roger.