Goose population control program continues

Apr 8, 2022 | 10:37 AM

The program that looks to control the number of Canada geese in the Okanagan is starting its 16th year.

The Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program (OVGMP) uses egg addling in goose nests to reduce the bird numbers in a project that stretches from Osoyoos to the North Okanagan.

Program officials say the initiative has prevented the goose population (an estimated 2,500 birds) from growing out of control.

“In the 15 years of addling, greater than 20,000 eggs have been addled which equates to an estimated 11,000 to 15,000 geese directly not entering the population. This does not include the thousands of offspring that those geese could have produced over the years,” a news release from the City of Kelowna, a partner, stated.

Proponents say egg addling is the least invasive form of population control, and is supported by many animal welfare groups as being humane and effective.

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“Egg addling involves shaking eggs or coating them with non-toxic biodegradable food-grade corn oil within 14 days of incubation to make them non-viable. Once addled, eggs are returned to the nest. Geese continue to incubate until they realize the eggs will not hatch. By then it is generally too late in the year to produce more eggs. Adults are not harmed and will continue with their regular annual life cycle,” the news release said.

The program targets geese that would not naturally be nesting in the Okanagan.

“These are generations of offspring of several different subspecies of Canada geese that were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s. Canada geese from elsewhere in Canada and the U.S. were moved here as part of managed introduction programs,” said Kate Hagmeier, program coordinator .

Key to success of the program is finding and accessing new nests. The public is asked to report lone geese, pairs of geese, or nest locations on private or public land by emailing coordinator@okanagangooseplan.com or calling 1-877-943-3209.

In circumstances where nest sites cannot be accessed for health and safety reasons, crews would still like to know the locations to help understand where sources of geese come from, and to potentially visit locations when it becomes safe to do so.

The public is asked to keep away from goose nests and not touch the eggs. A federal permit is required to allow crews to addle goose eggs. If a nest is on private land, a permission form to access the nest is available on the program website.

Crews will be addling until mid-May.

by Pete McIntyre

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