By Tom Momberg
The state Department of Environmental Conservation released a revised mute swan management plan for public comment on Monday, after taking into consideration an array of public comments left on the first draft in January.
The initial draft plan was created after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill introduced by Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) that would have placed a two-year moratorium on a statewide DEC plan to eliminate over 2,000 mute swans.
Rather than protecting the feral populations of swans that migrate to waterways in Jamaica Bay, Little Neck Bay and Howard Beach, the governor kept the bill from dismantling DEC’s goal to eradicate the birds by year 2025.
The mute swan is not native to North America and is considered an invasive species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The species of swan is native to Europe and parts of Asia, and was brought to Western Hemisphere to beautify estates in the 19th century.
Since then, feral populations of mute swans have been competing with native wildlife for nesting areas and aquatic plant life. Downstate populations have grown fourfold since the 1970s.
Some territorial swans have also been found to be aggressive toward humans and small children.
By considering concerns of environmental groups and animal rights activists in reducing populations, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens is hoping a revised management plan can appeal to all sides of the issue, while still attempting to reach the department’s 2025 goal.
“Wildlife management can present challenges in trying to balance conflicting interests, such as when a beautiful bird has undesirable impacts,” Martens said in a press release. “This revised plan remains committed to minimizing the impacts of mute swans on wildlife dependent on wetlands for their habitats, while being sensitive to public concerns about how and where that is accomplished.”
The new draft plan contains a revised goal focused on minimizing the impact of the mute swan population as an invasive species rather than eradication. It also contains a new regional approach in managing populations between upstate and downstate New York, permits municipalities to keep swans in parks as long as specific conditions are met, employs non-lethal sterilization techniques such as egg oiling and placing swans with people licensed by the DEC, and more concisely identifies detrimental impacts of mute swans on the environment.
Avella said he immediately reached out to animal rights groups to consult them about the changes in the plan once they were released, but has yet to accept the plan.
“While I am glad that DEC has revisited its original inhumane plan to completely rid New York of more than 2,000 of these innocent birds, a complete review of the details in the updated plan will ultimately reveal whether more changes are needed,” he said. “The revised plan is the first step toward a better solution for mute swan management, but it may not be enough.”
State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Ozone Park) represents the Jamaica Bay area of Queens, and previously spoke against DEC’s earlier proposals to reduce the bird populations. He conceded that sometimes animal populations must be managed.
“I am pleased that DEC has listened to concerns raised by local families about the mute swans and offered a compromise,” Goldfeder said. “This plan balances the need for protecting vulnerable wild habitats, while still allowing these beautiful animals to continue to stay in the urban parks and gardens where they’ve lived for decades.”
Details of the revised mute swan management plan can be found online at www.dec.ny.gov/
Reach reporter Tom Momberg by e-mail at tmomb
