Trumpeter swans protected but problematic for farmers

Monday, April 6, 2015

Trumpeter swans are posing a problem for farmers in B.C.'s Cowichan Valley.

Bob Crawford, president of the Cowichan Valley Agricultural Society, told the CBC that flocks of trumpeter swans are causing problems – including flooding and soil damage – for local farms. "Every time these birds get in on a field that's grazed, it delays the cutting of crops by seven days," he said. Despite this, farmers are not allowed to kill the birds, as they are a protected species.

According to the CBC, farmers have resorted to using noisy propane cannons to try to scare the swans. But non-farming households in the area have complained about the noise, and one frightened swan managed to cause a blackout at the home of a non-farmer after hitting a power line. Crawford told the CBC, "You have moved to the farmland now. You're going to have noises, and farms farm 24 hours a day." BF