Geese Culled in U.S., Beaten and Gased - Where is the Uproar?

According to the Canadian Press it has been a deadly summer for Canada Geese this summer. The birds did not die from natural causes or by accident. They were culled. The report indicates that these cullings have been state sanctioned, while others were slaughtered by individuals.

The birds are considered a nuisance in the North East and other areas in the U.S. as they have endangered airplane flights. In other locations they are considered a pest. As a result 400 birds have been gassed last week in New York, apparently sanctioned by the Department of Agriculture.

In Oregon 109 birds were gassed because they became pests in the community.

When birds ended up in the tailing pond of Northern Alberta there was outrage around the continent, if not the world. The outrage was well founded and Syncrude need to be taught a lesson.

Killing these birds to accommodate humans is no better. According to a Canadian Conversation expert, killing the birds may solve the immediate problem, but it's not a solution for the long term.

Killing these birds seems go on unnoticed. There are methods to control the birds, which does not include culling. Conseravationists will tell you that it's about planning. As an example at the Toronto Pearson Airport predatory birds are used to scare the birds away.

It's time we got off our duff and found a solution for these birds that goes beyond killing them.

If tailing ponds in Northern Alberta create an outrage, so should these methods of culling.