The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation would like to kill all the state’s 2,000-plus mute swans by 2025, citing the fact that they’re technically a non-native species that destroys other animals’ habitats. Some people, unsurprisingly, are upset about this. One such person is Tony Avella, a state senator from Queens, who’s introduced a bill that would put a two-year moratorium on the DEC’s kills.
“I was horrified to learn that our state wildlife agency would make such an extreme, unfounded proposal, and do not believe that the DEC has provided evidence to justify the elimination of these beautiful swans,” Avella said in a statement. “The public outcry has been severe—many New York residents do not want to see mute swans eliminated and animal advocacy organizations, wildlife experts, rehabilitators and others have also joined the chorus of opposition.”
Avella’s bill would also require the DEC to demonstrate proof that swans do in fact damage the environment or other species. As Sheepshead Bites points out, if you’d like to voice your displeasure with the DEC, you can email them here.
(Photo: @Scazon)
