Vernon pulls trigger on goose kill

Feb 8, 2021 | 8:06 PM

The emails of Vernon council members have been deluged with questions and concerns from the public about a plan to cull invasive Canada Geese, but the program will proceed following a 6-1 vote at council with Mayor Victor Cumming the only dissenting voice.

Up to $40,000 will be spent to eliminate between 100 and 250 geese, to be determined by a wildlife biologist when a management plan is established.

The cost has been a big question.

The plan and permits will cost $7,000, catching and euthanizing $27,000 and disposing of the geese $4,000.

The move comes as water quality and droppings have made beaches unusable, with each bird producing about three pounds of droppings a day.

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Up to ten people in kayaks would round up the birds at Kin, Lakeshore and Paddlewheel Park beaches.

“Will we have to do this continually year after year,” Mayor Cumming said.

Staff indicated that a long term plan will be put together by the biologist.

Council was encouraged to keep other options in play, including the long running egg addling program, sport hunting and kill to scare, which involves removing a single animal from the flock which generally moves the birds to another location for a period of time.

Kelowna has used kill to scare tactics in the past to control the population there.

A number of nests were discovered at Mackay Reservoir off Commonage Road, the former home of the Vernon Fish and Game Club. Hunting the birds at that location was allowed in the past.

Federal regulations prevent the meat from being donated for human consumption, but Coun. Scott Anderson noted an organization may take the meat for bait, which is being investigated.

An offer to the Okanagan Indian Band to use the meat for ceremonial purposes was rejected by OKIB.

If that doesn’t work out, the birds would be sent to an animal compost, or disposed of at the regional landfill.

Two petitions on change.org calling on council to stop the cull have garnered nearly 1,800 signatures.

Meantime, Coldstream council will request local wildlife specialist Pete Wise or an alternate, to address council, as the geese have had a significant negative impact on Kalamalka Lake Beach.

It was noted that Wise was previously hired to conduct a ‘complicated goose cull in Parksville on Vancouver Island.

The geese were purposely introduced to several areas of B.C. in the 1960’s and 70’s for aesthetic purposes and hunting, but with few population checks, the population grew quickly.

An egg addling (shaking) program was started in 2005, Vernon rate payers contributed $50,000 to the program in 2020, but the population has continue to grow.

by Kevin Rothwell

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