Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 23 october 2017

U.S. agency’s bid to allow trumpeter swan hunting draws fire

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Tundra swans look almost swan seasons rather than the Nongame Wildlife Fund turned off by the idea of
Associated Press identical to trumpeter specific tundra swan sea- at the Minnesota Depart- hunting them.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A swans, especially at a dis- sons. The service already ment of Natural Resources, “If a proposal were made
federal plan to let hunters tance, and a tundra swan allows something similar in personally brought back to turn it into a game spe-
shoot trumpeter swans has hunter who mistakenly the Pacific Flyway in Utah the eggs from Alaska that cies, I think the agency
drawn fire from some of the shoots a trumpeter is sub- and Nevada. The new plan seeded the state’s flock in would suffer a huge black
people who toiled to bring ject to a fine. That rarely — would most directly pro- the 1980s. eye,” he said.
the majestic white birds if ever — happens. But the tect tundra swan hunters Speaking for himself, not The Fish and Wildlife Service
back from the brink of ex- risk is expected to grow as in Montana, North Dakota, the state agency, Hen- put the plan out for public
tinction. trumpeter swans spread South Dakota, North Caro- derson said he fears the comments this summer. Of-
Trumpeter swans, North from states that have in- lina and Virginia. federal plan puts at risk a ficially, it’s called a “draft
America’s largest water- environmental assessment”
fowl species, have made for a “proposal to estab-
a comeback in recent de- lish a framework for gen-
cades thanks to efforts to eral swan hunting seasons
reintroduce them to their in the Atlantic, Mississippi
former breeding range. and Central flyways.” The
Now the U.S. Fish and Wild- online comment period
life Service is working on a closes Sunday. As of Fri-
plan that would let hunters day, the comments were
shoot them in several states running heavily against
that allow the hunting of any trumpeter swan hunt-
tundra swans, a more nu- ing, though one Minnesota
merous species. tribe supports the proposal
“Trumpeter swans are a because trumpeters have
conservation success sto- grazed so heavily on one of
ry,” said Brad Bortner, chief its best wild rice lakes that
of the service’s migratory they’ve become pests.
bird management division. Henderson recommend-
North America’s popula- ed maintaining the exist-
tion is estimated at more ing ban on swan hunting
than 63,000 adult birds and in the Mississippi Flyway. In
it’s growing by more than the Atlantic and Central
10,000 a year, he said.No flyways, which include the
state is currently proposing five states the plan is aimed
trumpeter swan seasons, In this March 25, 2015, file photo, a pair of trumpeter swans stretch and preen on ice along a at, he would change the
he said, and the proposal is channel of open water at Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage, Alaska. rules so game wardens
mostly aimed at protecting Associated Press would confiscate trumpet-
tundra swan hunters in five er swans accidentally shot
states who may mistakenly vested heavily in restora- But that approach doesn’t population that Minnesota by hunters, but not fine the
kill trumpeter swans. But he tion efforts, such as Minne- sit well with some bird lov- brought back using about hunters.
acknowledged the pro- sota, Iowa, Wisconsin and ers, including the man who $500,000 raised through a He said Minnesota did that
posal opens the door to the Michigan in the Mississippi led the restoration effort program that lets people for a goose species that
possibility that some states Flyway. in Minnesota, where the contribute by filling in a box was once protected.
could offer such a hunting The proposal essentially trumpeter swan popula- on their income tax forms. “I’m not sure that sort of
season. would make such inci- tion has grown over the He said the state pledged simplicity is something that
The soonest the proposal dental kills legal by letting past 35 years from none that the trumpeters would flies well in Washington, but
could take effect is 2019- states with low trumpeter to more than 20,000. Car- never be hunted, and he it worked here in Minneso-
2020 season. numbers hold general rol Henderson, supervisor of said waterfowl hunters are ta,” he said.q