FINES AND POACHING.

Forest and Bird, Issue 26, 1 March 1932, Page 8

FINES AND POACHING.

(By The Hon. Secretary.)

The prevalence of poaching appears rather on the increase than otherwise and many complaints reach the Society. Something more than the insignificant fines so often meted out, when an occasional conviction is secured, is necessary. Ranging costs a lot of money and nearly all the chances are with the poacher and against the ranger, who so often thereby fails to catch his quarry. The following extract from a letter received from Greymouth with reference to inadequate penalties puts the matter clearly:—

“As a member of many years standing of your Society, I should like to draw the attention of your Council to the extraordinary inconsistencies in the fines inflicted throughout the Dominion for convictions in the case of shooting protected native birds. Within the past two years fines of twenty and twenty-five pounds have been meted out to destroyers of pigeons in Taranaki, Waikaremoana, Southland, and elsewhere, while during the same period the Grey Acclimatisation Society has at great expense brought three offenders to Court, and after conviction the fines were £ , £2, and £l.” The result of small fines and the lack of the efficient administration of the Act is to be found in the following extract from a letter received from Wairoa: — “As a member of your Society, I think it is my duty to inform you of the wholesale slaughter of wild duck in this district out of season. I think that in the out-of-season period the birds should have the full protection of the law in order to prevent their total extermination. The Maoris seem to have got hold of a rumour that birds can be shot in any season for food purposes. If something is not done pretty soon, pigeons, tuis and pukeko will all follow the duck. It came to my knowledge that one Maori shot seventy and another forty the other morning.”