Masterton council targets geese

A suggestion was made to raid the nests of Canada geese at Henley Lake and destroy all but one egg, in a bid to control the population of the birds at the site.

The burgeoning population of Canada geese at Masterton's Henley Lake is causing a headache for district councillors, and the emergence of some radical ideas to control them.

Apart from supporting a cull at the lake to rid it of an exploding population of the birds and overcome a worsening faeces pollution problem, a suggestion emerged to raid the nests and destroy all but one egg in each.

The bird would then sit on the single egg, whereas to destroy the entire nest would only encourage the female bird to lay another clutch.

It came from councillor Jonathan Hooker who said it would invoke a "one baby policy" and thereby limit the number of birds reaching adulthood, avoiding shooting them.

At Wednesday's Policy and Finance Committee meeting the Canada geese problem was described by councillor Gary Caffell, who chairs the council's Parks and Open Spaces Task Group, as being a health and safety issue.

The birds, who were heavily culled in a controversial manner in 2011, were again creating "a bloody mess" which encroached beyond the lake and its edge onto the grassed areas.

Mr Caffell said the muck left behind was such that some people now chose not to visit Henley Lake for recreation.

Councillor David Holmes said the mess was "worse than ever."

He had talked with Greater Wellington Regional Council staff and had been told there was only one time during the year that culls should be done, in November.

"Sadly we may have to wait until then before doing anything about them," Mr Holmes said.
Parks and Facilities Grant Hathaway is to make submissions to the regional council under its pest plan to get regional resources allocated to the problem.

He will frame options for dealing with it.

In 2011 a joint cull carried out by the council and Fish and Game ran headlong into criticism.

Witnesses described the cull as being horrendous and cruel with Canada geese not only shot but chased, bludgeoned and having their necks wrung.

About 200 of the 300 Canada geese then inhabiting the lake had been killed.