THE SHAG’S TROUBLES.

Forest and Bird, Issue 26, 1 March 1932, Page 9

THE SHAG’S TROUBLES.

(By E. T. Frost.)

TOLD BY THE BIG BLACK SHAG.

For thousands of years, long before the brown men came to this land, we made our homes on the rivers, lakes, and sea coast of these islands. There are fifteen branches of our family settled here, more than there are anywhere else in the world, for you must know that our family is world-wide, and we have close relations in all parts of the globe. Here, in New Zeaalnd, each branch of the family built its nest according to its own particular requirements. Some were built on the rocky headlands of the coast, where other sea-birds were also nesting. Others, who lived inland, built high up in trees which were growing near streams and lakes, using the same place year after year. We fished in these streams for our living, and lived in peace and quietness. When the brown men came to settle here they did us very little harm; beyond taking some eggs for their food, they did not molest us, and our lives were quiet and uneventful.

Now all is changed. A new race of people have come to this land. They have cut down most of the trees, and a lot of the streams which we used to fish in are dried up. Some of them brought new kinds of fish into the rivers, and because we catch some of them at times for food, they are asking that we be destroyed, and even now they are sending out parties to the places we make our nests and there they kill large numbers of us.

These people give very little thought to the great use birds of all kinds are on this earth, and even our family which eat only fish are of more use to these very people than they probably think; in fact, they must think we are of no use or they would not want to destroy us, but I am going to tell you in what way we are and can be of use to them in their plan of bringing new fish into these waters. I am not going to deny that in certain places some of our family circle catch and eat these trout, as the new fish are called, but what they catch is only bare wages or payment for the good work they do in catching great numbers of eels, who are responsible for eating more trout in a few weeks than all our family would eat in a year.

The eel and trout live in the same waters, but their habits are quite different. The eel sleeps in the daytime, while the trout does not. When the night falls the trout settles down quietly, but the eel sets out foraging, and has no difficulty in catchingall the trout it wants; especially when the trout are young does it take large numbers. As these people see very little of the eel they do not realise the enormous damage they do in this respect.

Now this is where we take a hand in the matter. The eel is our favourite food, and is one most easily caught. After its night of feeding it is ready for a nap when daylight comes, and at that time we are all out looking for breakfast, and what is better or easier caught than a fine fat eel lying sluggishly in the weeds at the bottom of the stream? It is at this time we catch and eat thousands of these enemies of trout. As the trout is wideawake after the break of day, he can see us when we dive under the water in search for food, and being a swift swimmer he can easily elude us. The sluggish ones that we catch are probably sick and are better out of the way. The brown man who first lived in this land took large numbers of eels for food, but as he has now changed his food since the white man came, and takes very few eels, they have increased in numbers, and our family is the only one that helps keep the numbers down. If we are totally destroyed, the eel will increase in numbers so much that the trout will be very hard put to it to live in many of the waters where it is now established. We would appeal to you people who would destroy us to pause and think for awhile before going on with your deadly work. The Creator placed us here in accordance with a plan, and no mere man can upset this plan without paying for it. So, next time you see one of our family diving under water, please remember that he may be catching an eel which can devour hundreds of young trout in a night, and have a kindly thought for us.