CLOSE SHOOTING SEASON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2723, 31 January 1910, Page 2

CLOSE SHOOTING SEASON.

REPRESENTATIONS TO HAVE EMBARGO REMOVED.,

ri’KR Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Jan. 29. Every third year, commencing from 1910, the law provides that there shall be a close season for. shooting, hut under certain conditions with regard to applications of acclimatisation societies, the Minister for Internal Affairs may grant permission to shoot all classes of imported or native game, or any particular class that may be applied for. This season happens to be a close one, but various acclimatisation societies consider that it should not be so far as imported game is concerned. With the object of having the embargo removed, representatives of the 'Wellington, Marlborough, and Nelson societies waited upon the Hon. J). Buddo, with a request that the season for imported game should be declared an open one. The Minister emphasised that it was not his busines to find ways and means of cutting a hole in the Act to allow everybody to shoot indiscriminately. He had received a number of applications from acclimatisation societies considerably more from the North Island than from the South Island, asking for an open season. In some cases they wanted an open season for all game; in others for imported game only; 'while some even excepted certain classes of imported game. His own impression for the moment was that there could certainly be an open season for hares throughout the whole of the Dominion, but it was quite competent for societies to protect hares it they saw fit. Hares, pheasants, and quail were the three principal classes of imported game, ana from the evidence ho had before him pheasants were very scarce in cases, while quail were exceptionally plentiful. One had to be very careful that the interests of settlers would not suffer, but it was absolutely necessary in some districts to preserve all the game there was. Under ordinary circumstances, one was inclined to give full effect to the law, but it should not be allowed to come between the protection of game and the interests of settlers. He would consider the representations and make public his decision at least six weeks before the opening of the shooting season.