hippy chick Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I've just found out that they are planning on culling the Canada Geese on lake Windermere. here is a link to the petition to stop the cull if anyone is interested. http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-cull-of-geese-in-windermere-this-spring-please-do-not-allow-the-mass-geese-slaughter-in-windermere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I hate mass slaughter of creatures by humans. It's arrogant and humans have messed up so many habitats and killed off so many creatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippy chick Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 its disgraceful, i could understand it if there was an illness within the flock. they are complaining that the geese poop is likely to transmit e-coli in the water, yet they discharge human sewage and other pollutants into the water. I had had to laugh at one of their reasons for culling " an eye witness has seen the geese nibbling at the reeds" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 It's not as simple as it appears. Canada Geese are documented as a "pest species" by Natural England and are therefore not protected. There is no doubt that they have encroached on native species in the area. They can be compared to Himalayan Balsam.They are very aggressive when nesting and chase all other birds away. No native ducks now nest on the lake's shores. The E coli/water quality issue is contentious. We do have a problem with sewer overflow at times of prolonged rainfall. The geology of the area prevents rain soaking into the ground,there is a tremendous run off and the drains can't cope. It's likely that geese contribute very little. They do however crop large areas of grass shorter than sheep do and they eat EMERGING reed shoots to the extent that large areas of reed beds supporting indigenous common and rare species are disappearing. Present control measures have been said to be inadequate but that may be another contentious viewpoint. I and many others suspect this cull is politically motivated and that the LDNPA is putting up a smokescreen to cover something else. Cormorants are being blamed for loss of fish and for the death of whole lake and river banks of trees where they roost. Colonies live at Killington Lake between Kendal and Sedbergh, the River Kent, Lake Windermere, and a site close to Wythburn, off the southern tip of Ullswater. A 150-bird colony has also been dicovered in Raisbeck, near Tebay close to the M6 motorway. Cumbria has been mooted as a release site for the reintroduction of the White-Tailed eagle. This is a predator of both geese and cormorants. I think the solution may well be found in this direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Very interesting to read OSH - thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slysimo87 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 it really does crack me up all this. So called animal lovers whom cant see past the words cute and cruel. I'm sorry but a when culls are needed then it is for good reason, and when the reason is to protect the ecosystem of other species of fauna and flora. Then it definitely becomes a necessity to cull these geese. Foreign species do ruin the habitats and cycles in life. It has been proven and been the case for various other invasive species in the past. And what makes me laugh is that the only supposed natural predator that could take a goose (excluding humans) is the fox. Which in this day and age is now becoming more protected in areas because of soft humans. i'm afraid that things have to happen, in order for things to work. thankyou for reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Well, I must say this is a most extraordinary first post. Where have you come from I wonder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
