Tuesday, Jan 3, 2017
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
Fire engulfs hayshed www.guardianonline.co.nz
A four-bay hayshed caught fire in the Chertsey district yesterday. The call-out was initially fielded by the Rakaia brigade shortly after 1.30pm, however crews from Ashburton, Pendarves and Ashburton Rural were called to assist. They were still at the scene at 5pm.
PHOTO MATT MARKHAM 020117-MM-0002
Seabirds killed in senseless slaughter BY MICHELLE NELSON
MICHELLE.N@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Year off to right start P24
Officials are investigating another seabird slaughter on a Mid Canterbury beach. Ashburton man Bruce Horton regularly visits the coastline to fish, accessing the beach off Williams Road just below Ashton Beach. Yesterday he was shocked to discover the beach littered with the carcasses of seabirds and shotgun cartridges. Horton counted 34 dead birds, including several endangered species, spread over an area of about 60 metres. “There were terns, black billed gulls, red billed gulls and a young black back gull,” he said. The birds had been killed within the last day or so. The Department of Conservation has been notified of the illegal slaughter. Hundreds of seabirds were shot at the same beach in January last year.
Forest and Bird’s Ashburton branch chairperson Edith Smith said the slaughter was senseless and disappointing. She would like to see signage erected on beaches to remind people it is an offence to disturb birds. Police have the ability to prosecute offenders under the Wildlife Act. While conceding the perpetrators may ignore signs, Smith said other people might put pressure on those responsible if they were aware of the consequences. “It makes me feel sick – our birds are disappearing fast enough, even the red beak gulls numbers are falling,” she said. A large colony of about 2000 black billed gulls – the world’s rarest gull – have nested on a man-made island in the Ashburton riverbed just south of the State Highway One bridge. However, despite signs warning peo-
THE PENALTIES Penalties for protected wildlife offences: Individuals proved to have hunted or killed protected wildlife can be imprisoned for up to two years or fined up to $100,000 or both. In the case of a body corporate the fine lifts to $200,000 The same provisions apply to those who are a party to such offending. ple to stay away from the area, a group of young teenagers were recently reported disturbing the nesting birds. They had also damaged the sign, Smith said. Environment Canterbury biodiversity officer Donna Field tracked the young offenders down and delivered a stern warning.
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