Stewart Island deer problem

AT the monthly meeting of the Otago Institute, Dr Fulton dealt with the matter of red deer on Stewart Island. he said that these were increasing at a tremendous rate, and were proving destructive to the undergrowth on the island.

He pointed out that the Southland Acclimatisation Society was seeking to obtain permission to go on to Stewart Island for the purpose of shooting these deer. It was an extraordinary thing that this attempt should be made, as this was the only South Island sanctuary for birds and

plants; or that deer should have been put there to destroy the plants, when there were millions of acres available for deer in the Wanaka, Nelson, and Marlborough districts.

There were already large numbers of deer in these districts, and recently the Acclimatisation Society had engaged people to destroy large number of deer which had become malformed.

It was incredible that the destruction of our sanctuary should be allowed. The only remedy was to get the authorities to have the deer wiped out as soon as possible.

Dr Benham said there were many birds and plants flourishing on Stewart Island which were extinct in other parts of the country. If sportsmen were permitted to go on to the island to shoot deer it was inevitable that they would destroy a number of birds. He was afraid the cure would be worse than the disease.