Possums should be treated as a ‘resource’ — West Coast Conservation Board member
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A South Westland member of the West Coast Conservation Board says possums should be treated as a "resource" with a financial incentive to entice hunters to help contain numbers of the pest.
At the West Coast Conservation Board in Karamea during a discussion about the Department of Conservation's national predator management programme, board chairperson Dr Mike Legge of Charleston noted the effectiveness of aerial 1080 poison in the management of possums.
"It is the most effective poison - animals die quickly. In the last two to three years I haven't seen one possum roadkill," Legge said.
Ngāi Tahu board member Rob Wilson, a Harihari dairy farmer, said it was a shame that culled possums were going to waste.
"When they were under control down our way was when there was a financial incentive [for trapping]," Wilson said.
Prior to the current method of using 1080, commercial operations "which didn't cost the taxpayer," were a way of benefiting the local economy while controlling the spread of possums.
"I see it as a resource. There's a resource that is going to waste that maybe we can utilise," Wilson said.
Recovery of possum skins and fur has been a longstanding practice on the West Coast, with the 'wool' highly sought after for a variety of uses including blending with other materials to make warm clothing.
DOC Western South Island operations director Mark Davies said the control of possums was "a very complex matter".
"We'd all like to see the commercial industry reintstated."
However, the department also had to balance other competing interests in dealing with pest species, including the farmed venison sector which did not want to see DOC "subsidise" the commercial recovery of feral deer.
Davies said the current approach to control was eventually to totally eradicate.
"The vision is Predator Free 2050... but we haven't got a silver bullet yet."
*Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
Changing the conversation around dementia
Reducing stigma starts with the words we use, and shifting the way we talk about dementia is a powerful step forward. This World Alzheimer’s Month, Ryman is highlighting the importance of reducing the discrimination caused by stigma surrounding people living with dementia.
Caroline Bartle, Ryman’s Dementia Care and Innovations Lead, says that using appropriate language when referring to people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia can foster a more inclusive society. This not only benefits those experiencing cognitive decline but also their families and the wider community.
Click read more for the full article.
Can you crack Today’s neighbourhood conundrum?
Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing, I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
This one was sent in by your fellow neighbour, can you figure it out?
What is first white then red and the plumper it gets the more the old lady likes it?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Loading…
