The City of Bayswater is considering killing pigeons and doves to reduce their population, initially on Eighth Avenue Maylands and then possibly to other parts of the shire as far as Noranda.

Culling may take place every 6 months starting from November. We have called on the Council to immediately halt their plans to cull and seek expert advice to adopt non-lethal methods. 

Research has shown that culling is ineffective since in most cases, 4 to 6 weeks following a cull, flock sizes recover and research has proven that pigeon flock size will always increase by between 15% and 30% following a cull as a result of rejuvination. Following a cull, a temporary spike in available resources will result in birds from surrounding areas to repopulate the problem area. Also, younger healthier birds which have escaped the cull will increase their breeding rates to compensate.

A petition for the cull to be conducted in a humane method was submitted to the Council as local residents were very distressed with seeing birds poisoned recently. However as we are aware, no method of culling would be humane and, as it does not work, would then be a waste of rate-payers funds.

What Can You Do?

Please write or email the Councillors, and/or write a letter to the Eastern Suburbs Reporter to urge the City of Bayswater not to waste rate payers money and to seek expert advice and install non-lethal methods to provide long term permanent solutions to bird control as outlined on the following webites:  www.picas.org and  www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org

Even the smallest addition of pressure to the Council by any means possible is critical. Even if the Council decide to stop the cull we need to urge them to install non-lethal methods or they may decide to cull sometime in the future; (note also local elections are on 17/10/09).

City of Bayswater Councillors Contact Details

Eastern Suburbs Reporter (the local paper)
esr@communitynews.com.au

Chief Executive Officer
City of Bayswater
PO Box 467
MORLEY WA 6943

The Wellington Anti Cull Coalition is a useful resource to refer to: www.wlgacc.org

Sample Letter

Please use some of these points but rewrite in your own words. Even a short couple of sentences would suffice as a message to the paper or council.

Dear

It is with grave concern that I write to you regarding a recent announcement that Bayswater city council will be conducting a cull of pigeons in the city this year.

I am most concerned that the council has budgeted a significant amount of funds for this cull and are planning to conduct similar culls in the future.  I am also astonished that such a decision can be made without call or opportunity for public comment.

I commend those community members who have raised the current petition for the cull to be conducted in the most humane manner.  However good intentioned, a council decision to cull remains based on ill informed information.

Culling bird populations as a method of population control is completely ineffective and a waste of ratepayer funds, no matter the method.

This is particularly  true in a shire such as Bayswater, surrounded by vast city and residential areas and not at all geographically isolated.  Culling the pigeons, as well as being cruel, however humane you try to be, is a complete waste of  ratepayers funds, and will have virtually no effect on your pigeon population whatsoever.

However many pigeons you kill, they will be replaced and even exceeded quickly, by immigration from other regions and a boom in breeding success. Within 4-6 weeks you will be back where you started, although with less funds and a significantly degraded reputation.

By the council's own admission you will have to repeat the process as often as twice a year, the very necessity for repetition illustrating and acknowledging the ineffectiveness of your plan.

I sincerely urge you to think again on this issue and examine the globally recognised methods of non-lethal control for pigeons that are adopted successfully by many cities, and to put the same ratepayer funds you have budgeted for culling, into these methods, which could solve any pigeon issues permanently.

Please consult with PiCAS International (Pigeon Control Advisory Service) which specialise in just these issues and can show you how to solve your problems permanently, without having to resort to expensive and damaging culling sessions.

See more on PiCAS and how to contact them here  http://www.picas.org/

Please also consider the Pigeon Control Resource Centre http://www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org/ which offers a vast amount of knowledge, products and methods by which Bayswater council can reduce your pigeon population permanently without culling.

There is growing concern in Bayswater about the cull, concern for the treatment of the pigeons and for their suffering, concern about the safety of other birds and animals and of the soundness of this council decision. I consider it would be time well spent for the council to suspend action on this cull and investigate fully the other options available and hope that you will do so.

Please acknowledge this letter.

I look forward to your reply.