Hello Everyone:
I have enclosed a copy of my letter to Mr. J. Hughes regarding a proposal to remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species.
My proposal should be able to be on the agenda for the next Ontario Waterfowl Advisory Committee meeting to be held during the third week of October.
Individual letters of support for this proposal should be sent to Mr. J. Hughes as previously suggested with the proposal for a Mourning Dove harvest in the Province of Ontario.
You may fax your letter to Mr. J. Hughes (1-613-949-8307).
I thank you for your support with this proposal.
Sincerely,
J. Katchin, D.V.M.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
20 Balsam Trail, RR 1
Port Rowan, Ontario
N0E 1M0
October 10, 2010
Mr. J. Hughes
Head of Population Management
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
335 River Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3
Re: Proposal to Remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species
Dear Mr. J. Hughes:
I am writing to present a proposal to remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species in all regions of Canada.
Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) are native to Europe and they were deliberately introduced to North America by humans during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Since that time their population has risen to the point whereby their impact upon waterfowl species native to North America and the submerged aquatic vegetation that they depend upon have become serious concerns to waterfowl biologists. This is especially true in the lower Great Lakes region where their population was estimated to be about 10,000 in 2002.
At a population growth rate of approximately 10 to 15 percent per year their population can double about every eight (8) years.
Mute Swans are known to attack and displace waterfowl native to North America from breeding and staging habitats. I have talked to neighbours in Long Point (Southern Ontario) who have witnessed Mute Swans killing various species of ducks and even Canada Geese in the inner bay.
Mute Swans also destroy the vegetation that migrating waterfowl native to North America depend upon during their migration. They are known to consume approximately 4.0 kg of vegetation per bird per day but they destroy approximately another 5.0 kg per bird per day in the process of feeding.
Mute Swans were placed on the List of Protected Species in 1974 however this list is generally for species native to North America.
By protecting Mute Swans other waterfowl species native to North America have been inadvertently put at risk themselves.
I believe that the time has come to remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species.
The information regarding Mute Swans that I have provided within this letter was obtained from various research articles written by the staff of Long Point Waterfowl and published in several wildlife journals. I am willing to fax copies of these articles to you and to anyone else if you would like to review them.
You may contact me by e-mail at thebuddyboy@hotmail.com at your convenience.
I would like to thank you for your due consideration and support of my proposal.
Sincerely,
J. Katchin, D.V.M.
c.c.
Dr. S. Petrie, Executive Director, Long Point Waterfowl
Dr. D. Ankney, Chairperson, Scientific Advisory Committee, Long Point Waterfowl
Dr. J. Leafloor, Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service
Mr. J. Ingram, Acting Member, Ad Hoc Eastern Population Tundra Swan Committee
Dr. R. Bailey, Vice President Policy for Canada, Delta Waterfowl Foundation
I have enclosed a copy of my letter to Mr. J. Hughes regarding a proposal to remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species.
My proposal should be able to be on the agenda for the next Ontario Waterfowl Advisory Committee meeting to be held during the third week of October.
Individual letters of support for this proposal should be sent to Mr. J. Hughes as previously suggested with the proposal for a Mourning Dove harvest in the Province of Ontario.
You may fax your letter to Mr. J. Hughes (1-613-949-8307).
I thank you for your support with this proposal.
Sincerely,
J. Katchin, D.V.M.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
20 Balsam Trail, RR 1
Port Rowan, Ontario
N0E 1M0
October 10, 2010
Mr. J. Hughes
Head of Population Management
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
335 River Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3
Re: Proposal to Remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species
Dear Mr. J. Hughes:
I am writing to present a proposal to remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species in all regions of Canada.
Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) are native to Europe and they were deliberately introduced to North America by humans during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Since that time their population has risen to the point whereby their impact upon waterfowl species native to North America and the submerged aquatic vegetation that they depend upon have become serious concerns to waterfowl biologists. This is especially true in the lower Great Lakes region where their population was estimated to be about 10,000 in 2002.
At a population growth rate of approximately 10 to 15 percent per year their population can double about every eight (8) years.
Mute Swans are known to attack and displace waterfowl native to North America from breeding and staging habitats. I have talked to neighbours in Long Point (Southern Ontario) who have witnessed Mute Swans killing various species of ducks and even Canada Geese in the inner bay.
Mute Swans also destroy the vegetation that migrating waterfowl native to North America depend upon during their migration. They are known to consume approximately 4.0 kg of vegetation per bird per day but they destroy approximately another 5.0 kg per bird per day in the process of feeding.
Mute Swans were placed on the List of Protected Species in 1974 however this list is generally for species native to North America.
By protecting Mute Swans other waterfowl species native to North America have been inadvertently put at risk themselves.
I believe that the time has come to remove Mute Swans from the List of Protected Species.
The information regarding Mute Swans that I have provided within this letter was obtained from various research articles written by the staff of Long Point Waterfowl and published in several wildlife journals. I am willing to fax copies of these articles to you and to anyone else if you would like to review them.
You may contact me by e-mail at thebuddyboy@hotmail.com at your convenience.
I would like to thank you for your due consideration and support of my proposal.
Sincerely,
J. Katchin, D.V.M.
c.c.
Dr. S. Petrie, Executive Director, Long Point Waterfowl
Dr. D. Ankney, Chairperson, Scientific Advisory Committee, Long Point Waterfowl
Dr. J. Leafloor, Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service
Mr. J. Ingram, Acting Member, Ad Hoc Eastern Population Tundra Swan Committee
Dr. R. Bailey, Vice President Policy for Canada, Delta Waterfowl Foundation