Yellowknife council mulls bird cull at city dump

City councillors in Yellowknife say they may have no choice but tocull ravens and seagullsfeeding at and flying over the city landfill.

Council revisited the bird cull proposal Monday night, after recent efforts to scare away the feathered feeders with noisemakers failed.

The city dump is near the Yellowknife airport. Transport Canada, which regulates the airport, has expressed concern with too many birds in the area posing the risk of birds colliding with aircraft and putting passengers and crew in danger.

"The waste that we've created inevitably has led us to this point where we now have a conflict between public safety at the airport and, obviously, the right of these natural creatures to live," Coun. Kevin Kennedy told CBC News at Monday's meeting.

Furthermore, the city wants to expand the dump, which Transport Canada officials have said would only further increase the numbers of gulls and ravens in the vicinity.

Culling the birds is the option being recommended by Beacon Environmental consultants. The cull would initially involve shooting about 20 herring gulls and two ravens a week.

Councillors will vote on the proposal in the next few weeks.

"I'm actually quite upset that it's come to this," Kennedy, who has led a city committee studying the issue, said during the council meeting.

'We don't really have any alternatives left'

"I'm not at all enthusiastic about it. But on the other hand, at this point, I guess I'm finally convinced that we don't really have any alternatives left."

The cull would shrink as the number of birds at the dump decreases.

Coun. Lydia Bardak said culling birds is not a prospect any city councillor relishes, but she agreed that it is becoming inevitable.

"Across the country, whether we're talking about landfill sites or airports, that is the common practice," she said.

"We need to be sure that everybody is safe."

Council needs Transport Canada's approval expand the dump. Transport Canada officials are due to visit Yellowknife next month.

Kennedy said any successful bird cull should only be temporary. He said the city is working on some projects, including a pilot composting study, to cut down on the amount of organic waste Yellowknifers send to the landfill.