ENEMIES OF RABBITS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1940, Page 2

ENEMIES OF RABBITS

CONFERENCE REQUESTS A prohibition on the sale of skins of natural enemies of rabbits is to be sought by the South Island rabbit boards, which at their conference heard figures indicating the ' dkstruction done to such animals as eats, ferrets, stoats, and weasels. One estimate was that since the ban on destroying these animals was lifted three years ago, more than 120,000 skins had been sold in New Zealand. Mr. C. J. Spain said that when his board, the Manuherikia board, went into the figures it was alarmed. From figures obtained from one of the merchants at Dunedin, it appeared that the sale of skins of natural enemies of the rabbit totalled about 42,000 a .year, or more than 120,000 for the last. three years. The prices received for these skins on an average gave little incentive to the clestruction of the animals. This destruction of natural enemies of the rabbit was certainly not. consistent with the drive for increased production. Mr. B. N. Murray said that it had been the experience of many farmers that the use of strychnine poison had killed off the natural enemies, and they were return ing to pollard poison ing. A similar remit was passed by the conference last year, and the secretary, Mr. A. H. Goyder, read a letter from the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, saying that after thorough consideration, it had been decided not to prohibit the sale of skins. It was decided, after a long discussion in committee, to present the additional evidence collected during the year to the Minister, and ask again for it to be made an offence to offer for sale the skins of ferrets, stoats, eats, or weasels.