ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1920, Page 5

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETIES.

SANCTUARIES FOR GAME. VALUE OF OPOSSUM TRADE. By Tc'eera ph.—Press Association. , Wellington, Last Night. The annual conference of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies opened to-_day. Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp presided He said that it was of the utmost importance that the Animal Protection Act and the Fisheries Act should be amended. An important proposed amendment related to the destruction of Jisli by explosives. A great deal of dynamiting was going on in the Wellington district, but in these days of motor-cars the detection of offenders was very difficult. A severe penalty Bhould be inflicted for a first offence and gaol without option of a fine for a second ofl'ence.

Ho also urged that the islands adjacent to the Dominion should be set apart, as' sanctuaries. The Government liad reserved 4384 acres on liapiti Island as sanctuaries and he contended that the remaining GOO acres owned by Maoris should also be, set aside for that purpose. Bel! birds, robius and herons on Kapiti Island had shown an increase. Ho suggested reducing the number of acclimatisation societies and making remaining ones larger. If that were done there would be a better chance of getting a larger grant, from the Government,. The societies, had created a, valuable Dominion asset, and it was tiie duty of the Government to givu them a substantial grant. He contended that opossum* should not be protected in fruitgrowing areas or in places apart from the largo areas of Native bush, also that licenses should be issued by societies to trap opossums during certain months of tho year, and that all persons selling opossum skins should be licensed. "If it was properly developed, (he opossum trade in New Zealand, at present worth £15,000 a year, could be increased three times/' he said. ' Mr. R. F. Stead (Canterbury) urged that the societies should combine in offering big rewards for anyone giving evidence leading to the conviction of persons 1 shooting white herons. Mr. Tripp was re-elected president. The, conference adopted a Canterbury remit recommending absolute prohibition of the use of auto-loadiiig guns for feathered imported and native game. On the recommendation of the North Canterbury society, it was decided to recommend that the. minimum penalty for illegal shooting of game be .-CIO, with £1 for'each head of game Jaken.

With a view, to assisting rangers in •'oping with poaching, it was agreed that an annual license of 2s fid he imposed upon all persons carrying or using shot guns for the purpose of shooting. The danger of the indiscrimate use of the pea rifle was emphasised in several vomits, arising out of which it was resolved to recommend the Government to impose iurther restrictions in this connection.

With a view to regulating the size of "bags," a remit was passed limiting the number of decoys to twenty-five pelman, and prohibiting the use of river decoys. The Council was instructed to go into the question of the advisableness of ini; porting "muskrat" and "beaver" into the Dominion. Several remits were adopted urging substantial increases in penalties for illegal fishing. In the case of dynamiting, liming, and the like, it was: recommended that the minimum fine be not less than £2O, and the maximum not more than £SO. It was decided to request the Government to prohibit all netting at mouths «<* ftnik.