Earlier this year, New York state authorities unveiled a plan to cull the populations of wild mute swans in an effort to control their numbers. However, a New York senator has proposed a new bill that could postpone the proposed culling.
The current plan to control the populations of wild mute swans, considered as an invasive species, was proposed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) of New York. If the proposal pushes through, the agency plans on euthanizing 2,200 mute swans by the year 2025. However, Senator Tony Avella from Queens, New York, has been very vocal about his opposition to the DEC's plan. If Avella's bill pushes through, the DEC plan could be postponed by as much as two years.
"I was horrified to learn that our state wildlife agency would make such an extreme, unfounded proposal, and do not believe that the DEC has provided evidence to justify the elimination of these beautiful swans," Avella told Reuters.
The senator is demanding that the DEC provide more convincing evidence to justify their proposed culling of the mute swan populations. While Avella is one of the more high profile opponents of the DEC proposal, he is not alone and many New Yorkers have also voiced out strong opinions regarding the matter. Hugh Raffles, a writer and anthropologist, has also weighed in on the matter.
"Mute swans are defensive, not aggressive, their advocates say. If people carelessly encroach on their nests and young, they should expect to be unequivocally rebuffed," said Raffles in an Op-Ed article. "If the birds have an appetite for subaquatic vegetation, it may have local effects, but as they compose about half of 1 percent of New York's more than 400,000 waterfowl, the impact on the state's ecosystems is minor."
Mute swans, known for being less vocal compared to other swan species, is an invasive swan that was introduced to North America from Europe during the late 19th century. Shortly after they reached American shores, the species adapted quite well to their new environment and their numbers grew. Mute swans are often admired by curious onlookers for their elegance and beauty. In fact, they were originally brought over from Europe due to the whims of wealthy individuals looking for beautiful animals to grace their homes.
With the current size of the wild swam population in the state of New York, DEC officials conducted a survey where they concluded that the populations needed to be controlled. However, numerous third parties are questioning the methodology used by the DEC.
