POACHING ON STEWART ISLAND.

Forest and Bird, Issue 17, 1 April 1929, Page 13

POACHING ON STEWART ISLAND.

The* New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society has on more than one occasion drawn the attention of Departments to the prevalence of poaching on Stewart Island. The Southland Acclimatisation Society and Ranger Traill have now succeeded in obtaining the conviction of a quarter caste, Thomas Jackson Smith, for killing opossums, wood pigeons, kakas, wekas, and a native crow. The Magistrate, Mr. G. Cruickshank, regarded the case as one of the most disgraceful ones on record and imposed a fine with costs amounting to £76 18s. As it is understood this sort of thing has been going on for many years and included the killing of the rare crow, the fine was certainly well merited, and the Southland Acclimatisation Society and Mr. Traill are to be congratulated on their efforts. The work of catching and obtaining convictions against such able bushmen as Smith is often accompanied with much arduous work and expense, only to be followed by fines of a nominal character. It is to be hoped that other Magistrates will follow the example of Mr. Cruickshank and help to save our native birds from such vandals who must annually destroy very large numbers.