Re: “Harvest the geese to feed the homeless” (Letters, Aug. 22)
I am responding to the letter to the editor last week regarding the geese cull and providing food for the food bank. I agree that the geese are getting to be a real problem in Lakeside Park and this issue continues to get worse every year. This is the dirtiest and messiest I have ever seen in over 20 years, which is not only unhygienic for us all using the park, but is a safety hazard for pets and children.
Not only because children play directly on the grass and sand, and pick up whatever they can get their little hands on, but also because geese get very protective of their young (which can be upwards of 12 geese per mating couple), and will attack anything or anyone who comes near.
Geese are no longer an endangered species. i.e. they have been moved from Schedule 1 to Schedule 5 of the Wildlife Act. This means the species is no longer managed by fish and game councils but is now “not protected.” Anyone can hunt or kill geese at any time of year without a need for a game licence.
Just for the record I am an animal lover and support the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), the BCSPCA and other animal charities, and am very concerned about animal welfare. However, I think we have now reached a point where we need to address this problem head on if the park is going to be a healthy place for children, adults and pets to use.
Gillian Last
Nelson