Swans saved - for now

From Sheepshead Bites:

Mute swans have a new look on life now that a bill was passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo ending the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) prohibition of the species, according to State Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz, who wrote the bill.

Cymbrowitz has doggedly tried to place a moratorium on the state’s plan to cull New York’s mute swan population — which the DEC targeted for extermination in 2013. Governor Andrew Cuomo has twice vetoed legislation that would halt the DEC’s effort to eliminate the swans, which the agency says are an invasive species that threaten local ecosystems.

“The people have spoken and I’m pleased that the Governor has listened,” Cymbrowitz said. “Tens of thousands of New Yorkers signed petitions, sent letters and emails to the Governor’s office, and, in my community, called my office to tell me how much they enjoy watching the swans in Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach. People were very vocal about their support of this bill, and I have to believe it made all the difference.”

The bill establishes a two-year moratorium on the DEC’s plan to manage the mute swan population, which were introduced to North America from Europe in the 1800s. It also requires the agency favor non-lethal management techniques and provides stronger evidence that the swans endanger ecosystems.

Bill introduced to stop swan slaughter

From Sheepshead Bites:

Queens State Senator Tony Avella has introduced a bill that would establish a two-year moratorium on the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s plan to eliminate 2,200 mute swans – the same scenic species that populates Sheepshead Bay’s marina. Local Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz announced today that he will follow suit with an Assembly version, having previously spoken out on the issue.

The Senate bill has been referred to the Senate’s environmental conservation committee.

DEC plans to kill every swan in state

From WPIX:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposes to kill or capture all mute swans by 2025 because of their aggressive nature and threat to native wildlife.

According to the plan, adult swans on public land will be shot or euthanized and their nests and eggs destroyed

The proposed policy follows other states like Michigan and Maryland, who also determined this non-native bird as too much of a threat to local wildlife.

DEC has also announced 115 other native species may be outlawed.

Mute swans are the largest bird in New York with a 7-foot wingspan, and weigh 20-25 pounds. They are known for their orange and black bills.

“I don’t know why they would pick on mute swans,” said Sally Newbert, who works on the board of the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society. “They’re beautiful birds.”

The swans were originally brought from Europe for their aesthetic value in the 1800s, and privately bred.

Nassau SPCA spokesman Gary Rogers says the mute swans should not be eliminated, “We have brought these animals here, and we have a responsibility to find a way to manage these animals better, but to completely say, ‘We’re basically going to eradicate them’ — what’s next?"

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