Canada geese targeted in Okanagan

The City of Kelowna wants to more than triple the number of Canada geese it's allowed to kill every year, as part of its efforts to deal with droppings on the beach.

This year, 60 birds were shot. The city has applied for a permit from the Canada Wildlife Service to shoot 200 next year.

Officials estimate there are as many as 5,000 Canada geese on Okanagan Lake, and complain the birds pollute the beaches and parks with feces.

The city has tried scaring them away with everything from noisemakers to laser beams.

There are still tourists sunbathing on the beach in Kelowna City Park.

Dennis Ingram, the city's goose-control manager, says it's only possible because he uses his dog and a hawk to scare away hundreds of geese every morning.

"When people want to come and sit on the beaches, they want to sit on the clean sand, not roll around in a litter box."

Ingram says scaring them away only moves the problem south to other Okanagan communities.

He notes that city workers have also been shaking goose eggs to prevent more birds from hatching.

The Interior Health Authority has thrown its support behind the plan to kill more birds. It says droppings from waterfowl can contribute to fecal coliform and E. coli in the water.