The town council in Oliver, B.C., will decide on Tuesday evening whether or not to approve the annual urban goose cull to limit the pesky bird population in the South Okanagan.
The Town of Oliver began issuing permits to goose hunters in 2010, with the intention of reducing the number of urban geese near Tucelnuit Lake and the Oliver Airport.
“These two areas are environmentally attractive for large numbers of geese to congregate,” according to a staff report dated Oct. 5.
“We have a steadily growing population of geese that contribute to the public’s concerns of goose feces at Tucelnuit Lake and the water quality warnings of the public and private beach areas,” the report stated.
An average of six permits per season have been issued annually and the program has been successful, staff said.
“It has been several years since we have received any complaints from the public that lends credence to the continuation of the program,” the report noted.
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“Complaints of the goose population have lessened over the years supporting the continuation of the program.”
Staff recommends that Oliver city council approve the continuation of the goose cull by issuing six permits ahead of the 2021 hunting season.
According to data submitted to the Environmental Stewardship Branch Canadian Wildlife Service, 58 geese were killed in 2020-21, 34 in 2019-20, and 51 in 2018-19.
Oliver town council will consider the request at the Oct. 12 regular council meeting.
A geese culling proposal at city parks in Vernon, B.C., drew controversy earlier this year.
Proponents argued the birds can be aggressive and hurt agricultural production, and their droppings can prevent people from enjoying public space and impact water quality.
However, hundreds of people signed three online petitions against the cull.
Some opponents of the proposed goose cull believed other non-lethal options should be considered, including landscaping changes, to deter geese from becoming a nuisance.
The Animal Alliance of Canada argued against the goose cull, saying communities often find a cull is not a long-term solution as populations bounce back.
Non-native Canada geese were first introduced in the Okanagan in the 1970s and quickly outnumbered the few migratory geese that stopped during their annual journeys north and south.
Experts say the migratory geese don’t usually interbreed with residents, which can live for up to 30 years, produce more offspring than their migratory cousins and never leave the area where they are raised.
— With files from Megan Turcato and The Canadian Press