[?]ild Life In Fiji

Public Effort To protect [?]ild Life In Fiji

SUVA, March 15. r 1950, following a suggestion by the Director of Agriculture, the Council of the Fiji Society set a Committee to investigate and hse Government on various iects of nature protection in the ony; and, in particular, to study breeding habits of native game Is, as a basis on which the annual oting seasons could probably be ided. ►ver the past five years the Corn tee has had the following mem ship, representing both scientific 1 sporting in erests: Messrs. R. A. pis, R. A. Derrick, H. Gatty, Rev.

Hill, H. W. Simmonds, B. South k, C. Walker, H. M. Scott, V. L. Weston, J. Rednall, Dr. ason-Bahr and B. E. V. Parham airman).

Native Game Birds

ided by the Fiji Society’s mem ship of the International Union the Protection of Nature, the imittee instituted correspondence i overseas zoologists, and carried a programme of local investi ons. To obtain additional field i, the Committee recommended ; special wardens be appointed arious parts of the Colony under Fiji Bird and Games Protect- Ordinance with authority to ; game birds out-of-season for iy. lese wardens are Messrs. D. K. l, F. G. Smith, C. G. S. Johns, Walker, R. McGowan, Rev. W.

B. Southwick and H. Gatty. y have all reported their obser ons from time to time; and an 2al to sportsmen in 1953 and brought in additional informa le Committee has advised on revision of the Schedules to the ection of Birds and Games inance, on proposals for the in uction of exotic game birds and r animals, and on applications the export of native birds, le Committee has recognised the -term nature of the investiga -5 which are necessary if its re mendations are to be based on itific facts and not on casual rts and opinions. Each year it reviewed the available informa on the population status o f the ye game birds and has taken consideration the effects of external factors such as hurri s, and the abundance or other of natural food supplies, has also given careful atten to the legitimate claims of :smen for a reasonable annual ting season and has realised

that unnecessary restrictions might controls 6 |dv birds Consequently 1 It has each

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spason 6 S«lh?P d6d th longest open season possible.

Because of Colony-wide reports regarding the status of the grey duck, the Committee in 1954 recommended a total prohibition for the time being on shooting of this species. The case of the migratory birds has also been investigated.

It is an unfortunate fact, however that from time to time wellauthenticated reports are received of illegal and wanton destruction of native birds by individuals.

It has been possible to Investigate only a few of thes“ cases and th= Committee feels that the best prospect for the future is to enlist the interest and support of the people of all races in Ts work. It is in the interests of all concerned that a rational and well understood programme of native conservation should be observed in all districts of the Colony.

Nature And Scenic Reserves

Another activity of the Committee has been the study of local needs for the establishment of nature re serves and scenic reserves, especi ally in view of the fact that Gov ernment had signified its in tention of abandoning, not only the roadside scenic reserves proclaimed in the early thirties but also the Bird Sanctuary and Nature Reserve at Colo-i-Suva proclaimed in 1926.

The Committee, through the Coun cil, made several major recommend ations and during 1954 requested that early consultation be arranged.

Mr. H. Gatty is now Chairman of the Nature Protection Committee.

Mr. H. Hardie, at present on leave in Scotland, will represent the Fiji Society at the meeting of the In ternational Union for the Protec tion of Nature, in Edinburgh, in June. t Fa’afaga, a 12-year-old Samoan girl of Tanugamanono, courageously rescued a 3-year-old boy, Uota, swept into the Vaisigano River in lecent mid-March floods.