Geese cull at Lake Horowhenua Domain

Efforts to control Canada geese at Lake Horowhenua Domain will see an organised cull take place next week.

The Domain will be closed to the public from 6.45am to 9.00am on Saturday 5 March and Sunday 6 March, when the cull will take place. It has been arranged by Horowhenua District Council in coordination with the Lake Horowhenua Domain Board.

There will be four shooters, all New Zealand Defence Force personnel, at the Domain. In addition, there will be between 35 to 40 licensed shooters with geese-shooting experience to be positioned on surrounding farm land.

The cull has been organised following complaints by locals and visitors about the geese at the lake and the mess they were creating, including bird droppings covering the lakefront.

Property and Parks Manager Arthur Nelson says the cull is likely to become an annual event in efforts to control the pest birds long-term.

“We anticipate the relationships built-up between the private landowners and hunters arising from this project of a coordinated annual cull should provide a sustained reduction in numbers of geese at the Domain.”

Mr Nelson said Canada geese were introduced to the North Island in the 1970s and ever since they had increasingly caused problems.

“The geese can be aggressive and in large populations they cause environmental damage and significant impact on the local ecosystem,” he said.

“In the water, they feed from bottom sediments and also directly on aquatic plants. However, defecation from large numbers of Canada geese is the greater threat to water quality values, especially from bacteria introduced from their droppings. Also, their constant paddling around the water’s edge leads to further erosion.”

ENDS

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