Management of Canada Geese

Transcription

1 Management of Canada Geese Erika Lok, Canadian Wildlife Service Union of BC Municipalities Convention - Urban Wildlife Workshop September 27, 2011 Historical and current distribution of southern breeding Canada Geese Harold G. Hanson The Giant Canada Goose. Southern Illinois University Press, 226pp identification-of-cackling-and-canadagoose/ Page 2 November 24,

2 Regional Population Objectives Geographic Population Current Index to Abundance (2010 a ) Objective Population Monitoring Survey Maritime Provinces b pairs pairs EWS and EHJV Agricultural plots c Southern Québec pairs pairs WLOW and WSHO d Southern Ontario pairs pairs SOWPS e Southern Prairie Provinces geese geese WBPHS f Southern British Columbia geese geese WBPS-CIPBC g Page 3 November 24, 2011 Why are there so many Canada Geese? In many areas of southern Canada, the native forests have been replaced by croplands and urban areas. A virtually limitless supply of food allows geese to live longer and produce more young. Mammalian predators have been reduced or eliminated. Many areas are closed to hunting so geese are protected from the only remaining significant predator, human hunters. The creation of parks and other greenspace like golf courses in urban areas is increasing that environment s capacity to harbour and produce geese. Given an unlimited supply of food and little predation pressure, geese are capable of explosive population growth. Page 4 November 24,

3 Why are Canada Geese protected by law? Canada Geese are a public resource, protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA). The Act arose from an international treaty between Canada and the United States, signed in MBCA provides for the protection and conservation of all migratory birds, and prohibits people from harming birds, except under specified conditions. MBCA also recognizes that there are times when the damage or danger caused by birds must be addressed. MBCA provides tools available only under a permit - for dealing with the situations where birds come into conflict with humans. Page 5 November 24, 2011 Federal Government Roles Conservation Regulations & Enforcement via the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 and its Regulations Lead population monitoring and science Lead advice and information (outreach) Responsible issuance of permits when geese are causing damage or danger Lead management of hunting Page 6 November 24,

4 Provincial Governments Cooperative enforcement of hunting regulations Assist in providing advice Assist in population monitoring/science Participate in approval of relocation sites Page 7 November 24, 2011 Municipal Governments Influence behaviour of citizens (outreach and bylaws) e.g. stop feeding geese Allow hunting wherever safe Habitat design & modification Land use decisions and plans Goose Management Plans Page 8 November 24,

5 All Landowners Actions to mitigate conflicts Habitat design & modification Stop feeding geese Scaring Barriers Population control Page 9 November 24, 2011 What is EC-CWS doing? EC-CWS mandate: Ensure conservation of migratory birds, which include Canada Geese Ensure sustainable populations of Canada Geese for harvesting Regulate the control of geese where they are causing damage or danger Work co-operatively with other jurisdictions to meet these objectives Page 10 November 24,

6 Management Philosophy CWS provides advice, evaluates requests for, and when appropriate issues permits for the management of conflicts with Canada Geese. The preferred approach is to prevent conflicts before they occur, and CWS can provide advice about ways to do this. However, there are circumstances when the only alternative to alleviate or prevent the damage or danger is through a permit allowing a management action that would otherwise be prohibited by the law. Permits will be issued in accordance with regional population objectives Page 11 November 24, 2011 What is damage or danger? The risk of air strikes is a clear example of danger. Damage refers to the effect of activities of the geese, not just to their mere presence. Damage usually results in an economic loss to the landowner or land manager because of spoiled crops, the costs of cleaning goose droppings or the expenses of turf management. While most of the reported problems have occurred on developed property, increasing numbers of Canada geese are also affecting natural ecosystems, which may have implications for conservation of other wildlife and/or sensitive ecosystems. Page 12 November 24,

7 What kind of management tools area available to those suffering damage? Most of the techniques involve modification of the habitat to a type that Canada Geese do not use, or erecting barriers to exclude them from the area Scaring birds from the area when they first arrive It is also important that people do not feed wild waterfowl Handbook: Canada and Cackling Geese Management and Population Control in Southern Canada describes the actions that landowners can take to reduce the attractiveness of their properties to Canada Geese. lang=en&n=6d2b893b-1 Page 13 November 24, 2011 Hunting Adult survival rate is the most important factor influencing population growth. Hunting is the most important source of mortality for Canada geese. EC-CWS can manage harvest by changing hunting regulations either province-wide or on a regional scale. Hunters require a federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit Municipalities are encouraged to ensure that the potential of hunting to control or reduce populations of geese is not limited more than necessary by bylaws which prohibit the discharge of firearms. In many jurisdictions, hunting opportunities have already been maximized, so the main application now to expand hunting opportunity is in those areas that are currently closed to hunting activities. Page 14 November 24,

8 What if those measures don t work? When the damage is so serious that other measures are called for, additional tools that may be available by contacting the CWS Permit Officer. The Migratory Birds Regulations provide: Section 24.(2) allows birds to be scared using a firearm or aircraft Section 26.1 (1) allows for a permit to destroy eggs, and EC-CWS requires that the permit holder follow the Best Management Practices information that will be provided as a condition of the permit. Section 26.2 allows for a permit to relocate birds, nests or eggs. Section 28.(1) allows for a permit to airport authorities to kill Canada Geese Section 26.(1) allows for a permit to kill Canada Geese, and CWS requires that the permit holder follow the Best Management Practices that will be provided as a permit condition. Page 15 November 24, 2011 Egg destruction Short term reduction of geese (goslings) in sensitive areas such as parks and golf courses. Effective for long-term control of local nesting populations. However, Several years to reduce breeding population. Labour-intensive and must be repeated annually. Page 16 November 24,

9 Relocation of geese Effective for short term relief from large numbers of adult moulting geese. From studies of banded relocated geese we have learned that: few (<10%) relocated moulting geese return to the capture site in the same year once they have regained the ability to fly; the harvest rate of relocated birds is double that of birds left in urban areas (e.g. Greater Toronto Area). Labour-intensive & must be repeated annually. Difficult to find relocation sites willing to accept large numbers of geese. Note: Only moulting geese should ever be relocated, and only when there is no other solution Page 17 November 24, 2011 Kill Permits Effective for short-term relief from geese. Killing birds may contribute to temporary local population reduction. But, Labour-intensive and must be repeated often. Effectiveness for moulting geese is limited. Potential to shift the problem elsewhere. The potential of killing to control or reduce populations of geese is limited in some areas by bylaws prohibiting the discharge of firearms. Page 18 November 24,

10 Airport Permits Airport Permits (MBR Section 28.(1)) are a separate category. Geese pose a significant risk to aircraft because of their large size and flocking behaviour. Airport managers are always issued a permit upon request to allow them to use a firearm or other methods such as birds of prey to scare or kill flying geese if necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft. They may also be issued a permit to destroy eggs or kill nesting geese on the airport property however, habitat modification is encouraged to discourage geese from nesting at airports or using the airport for feeding or resting. Page 19 November 24, 2011 Who is eligible to receive a permit? Anyone who is a landowner or manager suffering damage or danger from geese is eligible to be considered for a permit to destroy eggs or relocate or kill migratory birds, including municipalities. Landowner or manager must attest to the seriousness of the damage Permits cannot be issued to individuals or wildlife control companies who are not the owners or managers of the property where the damage is occurring, although the permit holder may designate nominees, who can include wildlife control companies. Anyone may be issued a permit to scare migratory birds (MBR, S.24) and applicants for this type of permit are not required to be landowners or managers; scare permit holders may designate assistants. Page 20 November 24,

11 Permit conditions and requirements Permit applicants must: understand and comply with the relevant Best Practices guidelines. attest that the damage and/or danger being caused by migratory birds is serious. attest that other methods or techniques have been or will be applied to solve the problem or that other techniques have not been successful. attest that they have the capacity and knowledge to conduct the permitted activities (or have retained someone with this knowledge). comply with other federal/provincial/municipal permits/authorizations. inform adjacent property owners of the activities. understand their responsibilities to address concerns regarding the activities if raised by the general public. Page 21 November 24, 2011 Management Plans For landowners or land managers with the responsibility for managing a very large area or several sites, a Management Plan is encouraged. CWS experience has shown that plans help to secure necessary budgets to conduct the activities, improve efficiency by coordinating activities, improve the ability to evaluate and adapt the program for quicker results, support relations with the public, and reduce the administrative burden. In particular, municipalities with airports should develop a goose management plan in conjunction with the airport authorities. Page 22 November 24,

12 Management Plans A Management Plan does not need to be complex. clearly identify the geographic area involved, assess the nature of the problem, and provide objectives and rationale for the requested management techniques. indicate where geese may use the land and where they must be excluded or otherwise managed to prevent damage or danger. However, it is important to remember that: There may be a need for information on the biology of geese in a community to identify useful opportunities and techniques. Management will likely require trying several strategies throughout different seasons, adjusted to individual situations. Solutions will take planning, coordination, and time; conflicts will not disappear overnight. Page 23 November 24, 2011 What effect will the management tools have on Canada Geese? These management tools will help to alleviate local problems of damage and danger caused by Canada Geese. They may slow or stop the growth of the populations in local areas, but they will not reduce the number of geese below the regional population objectives. EC-CWS conducts surveys to evaluate the status of Canada Geese, and permit holders are required to report on their activities. This means that management activities and issuance of permits is always done in the context of conservation and long-term sustainability of Canada Geese. Page 24 November 24,

13 Materials to Help: 1. Public Handbook: Canada and Cackling Geese: Management and Control in Southern Canada 2. Frequently Asked Questions Canada Geese Page 25 November 24,