Waikato District Council is reassessing its method as part of a planned culling operation of Canada geese control at Lake Hakanoa.
The method recommended by contractors was to bait the geese with a narcotic substance.
However subsequent information received from Waikato Regional Council and Fish and Game today has indicated that the method is not suitable due to the size of the geese.
The product puts birds to sleep within half an hour and they are subsequently humanely destroyed.
But it has been pointed out that the product would not be effective on a bird the size of a Canada goose.
The poison would take longer than half an hour to take effect, meaning that the geese could disperse to other area before the product would take effect.
So, Council has today decided not to go ahead with this method.
Council is now investigating other methods to control the goose population.
“It is unfortunate we have received conflicting information on this method. However, we still need to control the geese population at Lake Hakanoa and once an appropriate solution has been found we will be letting our community know our reworked plan,” says Community Connections Manager Megan May.
“There have been suggestions that relocation of the Canada geese could be a control method. But we feel that this would just transfer the problem elsewhere, and due to the migratory nature of Canada geese they will likely return to the same spot.”
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For more information please contact:
John Brown
Senior Communications & Engagement Advisor
Waikato District Council
Email: communications@waidc.govt.nz
Mobile: 027 889 3084
