Pismo Beach CA To Start Pigeon Eradication At Pier ..

[TAWhatley]

http://www.santamariatimes.com/artic...ast/news04.txt
-------------------------------------
Pismo plans to trap, kill pigeons
By April Charlton/Senior Staff Writer

Pismo Beach officials believe increased bacteria levels in the area's ocean water may be attributed in part to pigeon droppings.

The Pismo Beach City Council won't wait to see the effects of a new ordinance prohibiting feeding of birds on and near the city's pier before eradicating the birds that flock to the area.

With a 5-0 vote Tuesday, the council directed staff to solicit bids from companies that specialize in trapping and killing birds and bring back a proposal for an eradication program as soon as possible.

City Manager Kevin Rice said he hopes to have a proposal for the council to approve at its next meeting Aug. 7.

If the council approves an eradication program for the birds at the pier and near Cypress Street Bridge at that time, Rice said, trapping could begin as early as late August.

Last month, the council adopted the ordinance prohibiting feeding birds on the pier, in the city's pier zone that includes the pier parking lot and adjacent plaza, on the bridge and within 100 feet of Pismo Creek.

The move, which takes effect today, was a direct response to a string of recent ocean water health advisories around Pismo Pier; in mid-May, there was an eight-day health advisory near the pier because of elevated bacteria levels in the water.

The most recent health advisory was posted Tuesday after routine water samples taken at three sites in Pismo revealed higher-than-normal levels of bacteria 300 yards south, 40 feet south and 330 yards north of Pismo Pier.

Prior to Tuesday's posting, the last advisory warning people to stay out of the ocean because of increased bacteria levels came July 3 and was lifted the following day.

Although it's unknown what is causing the elevated bacteria levels near the pier, some city staff members believe a large population of pigeons around the pier area is to blame for the pollution problem.

However, the staff had recommended the council not take any action to remove the bird population from the pier and creek areas until possibly later this year.

Staff members felt several months were needed to monitor the effect of the new ordinance on the pigeon problem and ocean water quality before taking further steps, but the council didn't agree.

The council also directed staff to return in November with a follow-up status report on the pier's pigeon problem, water quality at the structure and how the eradication program is working.

April Charlton can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5016, or acharlton@santamariatimes.com.

[feralpigeon]

Terry, why can't they just catch the birds and drive them a few hours away and release them? Is there anything that members here can do to help stop
this??

fp

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by feralpigeon

Terry, why can't they just catch the birds and drive them a few hours away and release them? Is there anything that members here can do to help stop this??

fp

Yes .. call, e-mail, fax the city with EDUCATED and POLITE information about other options. I just now got this article forwarded to me and am in the process of trying to get an organized front going.

It seems ludicrous to me that they are going to kill the pigeons without even knowing if the pigeons are really causing the problem .. as I said to the person who sent me this article, it could just as well be sewage spills which are pretty common down here in So Cal or other bad stuff in runoff that is making the way into the ocean.

Terry

[TAWhatley]

Here's a link to the contact information for the 5 Council members: http://www.pismobeach.org/council/

I think polite and informative e-mails are fine if you care to send one. Please DO NOT call these people on their home or cell phones. The phone # for the City of Pismo Beach is on the bottom of the webpage. If you want to call, then call that # and ask to speak with a council member or to leave a message for the city council.

Here's a link to the City of Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce .. this is mostly a tourist town dependent upon visitors and the $$$ they spend there .. threaten the pocket books a bit .. but always politely and with correct information: http://www.pismochamber.com/

Terry

[mr squeaks]

Interesting that "in part" is mentioned but no definitive testing???

AND, if only "in part," where is the REST of the pollution coming from???

Talk about "GUILTY" without a trial...

Stupidity abounds!

Shi

[feralpigeon]

Yes, Shi, interesting also that with all the issues that could or might go on
in a 'beach front' location such as illegal disposal of sewerage from boats/yachts, fishing boats cleaning fish and dumping the unsalvaged
remains into the bay, faulty sewerage lines and just illegal dumping in general, that the pigeons are being scapegoated without even a pretext of trying to ascertain the facts. It's become a foregone conclusion that the pigeons
are the primary cause in absence of any scientific data.

fp

[george simon]

Today its pigeons whats next seagulls after all they s**t in the ocean all the time. GEORGE

[flitsnowzoom]

I think with the hot summers, the casual tourists and natives that are careless about trash and their personal sewage, sewage effluent from boats offshore and municipalities on-shore, illegal dumping, and so-on, it's only logical that we (the human species) are providing the majority of the growth media for whatever bacteria and algae are out there to "go forth and multiply". Talk about a mega-petri dish and perfect laboratory conditions; sounds like the pier is a perfect place.

The problem with the Pismo Beach pigeons (and every other pigeon) is that they are not charismatic megafauna. There is no reporter hot to tell their story, no PETA folk to take their sides, no Humane Society or Sierra Club to rally to the cause. Surely someone out in CA has contacts with local media that can get cracking and start a story. Politicians hate bad press more than anything. Unfortunately, they love a quick fix even more, because that gives them votes.

We have been conditioned to need the quick fix -- the ever faster computer, the cell and sat phones that allow us to talk anywhere, any time, the 24-hour banking and grocery stores so we don't have to wait even a few hours to buy, movies that premiere before their official open date, coffee & fast food stops on nearly every commerical corner. Why wouldn't a community be grateful that its leaders step in and "fix" the problem without waiting for conclusive evidence. The average citizens and certainly the politicos don't care, it just lets them get back to the business of going to the pier to buy stuff and to the ocean to covort and trash it.

I can guarantee, that when the evidence comes back, it WILL point back to bird droppings -- that is the whole point of the study, after all.
Statistics and science can be used to support any side you want it to. Give me a set of figures and a general idea of what are the conditions and I can give you a very solid science argument to support whatever side you favor, whether or not the report comes back that way. People are very clever at extracting statements from unbiased science reports to promote one side or another. A scientist should be biased against all sides to allow solid research and then present the findings. If the word "pigeon" or "bird droppings" are anywhere in that report as allowing the bacteria a good host, then that is all a crafty politician needs to CHA.

[Feefo]

Terry, why can't they just catch the birds and drive them a few hours away and release them? Is there anything that members here can do to help stop
this??

That would be too much effort for people that don't care about pigeons anyway. Perhaps our California members could do something like Fiona has done in Kettering, trap the birds and drive them in small groups to places where they can be kept confined for three weeks before being released.

Today its pigeons whats next seagulls after all they s**t in the ocean all the time.

Poor gulls, they are more likely to be the "guilty party" that the pigeons are. But at a seaside village here in the UK one man wanted the seagulls culled because he thought they were too noisy!

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/...A15%3A40%3A190

Cynthia

[Matt D.]

Well I live in Paso Robles (google it about 30 miles form Pismo) and I know alot of city council members and mayors around here and today I placed a call to the mayor of Pismo (Family friend) and he isn't for it either and I have a couple of pigeon traps and the exterminator would charge 40 grand for six months of extermination and i put a bid in for 30g but the dif is i will be "relocating" to a big pen so they can live out the rest of their lives actually living so wish me luck I know 2 of the 5 city council members and I my best friend's grandpa is really tight with a 3rd so i think i have the majority. so pray pray ... and pray some more that I will get this thing!

[Skyeking]

Sounds very positive, Matt, and I will certainly send positive thoughts and my prayers.

I hope everything works out, and you get the bid. Where are you relocating them?

[Matt D.]

Well as most of you will recall that my gramps and I race pigeons we will probably just keep them in this huge pen that he has and I will just pull the eggs so when they die they will be gone, which is a better solution than i think to killing or catching the birds live and feeding them live to their natural predators?

[relofts]

Matt,

How soon will you know if you get the bid?

Ellen

[Matt D.]

well they way local politics runs around here it could be tommarrow or it could be next year ill keep you guys posted.

[Feefo]

Good luck Mattt!

I think it is wonderful that you are prepared to step in and help these poor pigeons.

Do you know how many there are? We recently trapped and rehomed some that were due to be killed in the UK.

Cynthia