Officials say move essential to protect wetlands and native waterfowl but some groups call decision ‘inhumane’
A new law in California will allow year-round killing of non-native swans starting next year – a move that some officials have said is essential to protect the state’s already diminished wetlands and native waterfowl, but which others have labeled as “inhumane.”
Mute swans, which have been valued as ornamental birds, have rapidly expanded across California, where wildlife officials say they degrade habitats and aggressively displace native species.
Assembly Bill 764, signed into law by California’s governor Gavin Newsom earlier this month, adds mute swans to the list of invasive birds that can be hunted with few restrictions, joining the English sparrow and starling. The law goes into effect on 1 January.
“The challenge is that their numbers have proliferated and they do a lot of damage to the wetlands,” said Peter Tira, information officer at the California department of fish and wildlife (CDFW). “California has lost between 90 and 95% of its historic wetlands, and these birds occupy those wetlands and do a lot of damage.”
