Mayor Stu Wells says an animal rights group is off the mark on criticism of Osoyoos over its Geese Management Plan.

The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals (APFA) strongly opposes wildlife culls, claiming they are cruel, expensive, ineffective and don’t address the root problem. “BC municipalities need a long-term wildlife strategy not a license to kill,” says Lesley Fox, Executive Director for APFA.  ”The province needs to create a proper plan to help BC municipalities address wildlife issues.

Osoyoos came to the attention of the APFA after an interview Wells did on a Vancouver radio station – talking about a UBCM resolution on “geese control”.

Wells says the Town of Osoyoos has a ‘Goose Management Plan’ that has the support of the Canadian Wildlife Service with two permitted hunters that can cull a certain number of geese. In addition during the regular hunting season, provincial government regulations allow  for further geese being disposed of.

The goose meat is not considered “quality” and the carcasses are given to the SORCO wildlife centre in Oliver and a Langley wildlife operation.

Wells says the resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities may not be needed anymore for Osoyoos but many other areas of the province need a consistent policy endorsed by senior levels of government.

In Oliver, council has authorized hunting season kills in areas where birds are being discouraged from landing. The Parks Board is using lights near Tuc-el-nuit Lake to discourage geese from feeding, resting, molting….and worse.