St Heliers black swan numbers surge as Ōrākei board seeks pest control advice
An Auckland local board is seeking advice on what to do about black swans – and their faeces – becoming prolific on some Eastern Bays beaches.
The Ōrākei Local Board has voted unanimously to seek a comprehensive assessment of the environmental, water quality and public health issues caused by the swans.
It’s seeking advice from Health New Zealand, Fish and Game and the Department of Conservation.
Ōrākei Local Board member Margaret Voyce said the birds had come up from the northern lakes of Waikato and were currently taking residence in St Heliers Beach and Ōkahu Bay.
She said there were now about 120 birds, each producing about half a kilogram of faeces a day, and that’s becoming an environmental problem.
“We organised a clean-up effort and managed to pick up 21 kilos worth in just an hour.”
St Heliers Glendowie Residents Association chairman Bob Smith said he had lived in the area for more than 40 years and the problem had only started in the past few years.
He said the amount of faeces was becoming disgusting, and “with the warmer weather, the smell is starting to increase”.
Voyce said the community was not opposed to having black swans, but was concerned about the sharp increase in numbers.
“They can be aggressive, especially if you get between them and their baby. People go to the beach with their children and they’re big birds.”
Voyce said there were a few people who were feeding the birds which was causing them to breed at higher rates.
“What it does is it creates a human-subsidised wildlife population; for example they’re breeding twice a year which isn’t usual for a black swan.”
Voyce wanted signs encouraging people not to feed the birds, with pest control measures like egg-oiling which could prevent black swan eggs from hatching.
Jacob Jones is a Newstalk ZB reporter working out of the Auckland newsroom. He has an interest in council and local government issues.