Natuurpunt defends decision to gas hundreds of geese
The conservation organisation said it used the least cruel method possible to control the population of domestic geese in Limburg, which was threatening crops and wildlife
‘Wasted meat,’ say hunters
The geese are reproducing at such a rapid rate, said Natuurpunt, that they pose a threat to crops and put pressure on native wildlife for space and food resources.
“We do this with a heavy heart,” Natuurpunt spokesperson Hendrik Moeremans said. “As good managers we have to take the responsibility for keeping the population under control.”
Hunting association, however, are angry at the decision. Hubertus Vereniging Vlaanderen (HVV), a hunting association in Limburg, complained that some 4,500 kilograms of “sustainable, ecological meat” have been wasted.
“We killed the birds in the manner we think does the least harm,” Moeremans said. The geese were netted on Schulens Lake and Paalse Plas and driven into containers, where they were gassed in a process taking 17 seconds. “We’re not doing it because we enjoy it, but because we and the authorities think it is necessary.”
The hunters would have preferred to have been allowed to hunt the over-population. “At least we hunters give the animals a chance,” argued HVV chair Jochen Hermans. “We don’t shoot if they’re on the water. It concerns us that they have been destroyed in this rough manner.”
The hunters are also concerned at the loss of so much meat, as the geese are now contaminated by the poison gas and are no longer fit for human consumption. “We would like to be involved in the future if hundreds of geese have to be eliminated,” Hermans said.
Photo courtesy schulens-meer.be
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