Writing on the Wall

Almost as soon as they arrived, the 7 migratory geese seen on the Reservoir in Central Park a few nights ago departed.

 

Presumably, the Reservoir served as a brief resting stop for the traveling birds before moving on.

 

Admittedly, it is a little early for any CP wintering geese or mallards to be settling down on the Reservoir.

 

That usually occurs in December when most of the park's lakes and ponds freeze over.

 

However, it is disconcerting (to say the least) that apparently only 7 migratory geese have landed in the Reservoir (even temporarily) in the almost seven weeks since the fall began.

 

One cannot help but wonder if most are simply being blown out of the skies by hunters while trying to make their way over the Atlantic flyway during fall migrations?

 

As noted so many times in this journal, nothing is "normal" over the past year or two.

 

I remember last year being concerned over the low number of Canada geese wintering in the Reservoir as compared to past years.

 

But, at the time I attributed the anemic numbers to a rougher than normal winter and the fact most of the Reservoir had frozen over.

 

And yet, there were a normal number of wintering mallards in the Reservoir last year.

 

I now believe that the Canada goose population in NY state has been decimated by both the expanded hunting seasons and the seemingly never ending goose massacres conducted in NYC metro area by the USDA for the past 8 years or so.

 

As smart and resilient as the geese normally are, they simply cannot survive this all out assault on their species.

 

I am most worried over the city's and USDA's goose "plans" for next year in NYC.

 

That is, to round whatever geese still remain "within 7 miles of an airport" and send for slaughter in NYC.

 

Despite phone calls and multiple letters, we still have not been informed of where NYC geese were sent this past summer for slaughter in Pennsylvania.

 

Obviously, the USDA is unwilling to share what should be public information with either the media or the people.

 

One has to wonder of the reasons for the hiding and secrecy?

 

"Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing."

 

If the arguments for goose "euthanasia" via gassings are bogus, (geese being high flying migratory birds are able to retain oxygen levels far longer than mammals and therefore take a long time to die in gas chambers) the ones for slaughter and "donation to food banks" are even more insidious -- and potentially health and life threatening to humans.

 

There are laws that restrict and ban the slaughtering of wild caught birds in establishments that "process" other meats due to fears of bacterial contamination.

 

The 575 geese and goslings captured from NYC properties this year only yielded 424 lbs of "edible meat."   (less than one pound per bird, despite fact that a typical Canada goose weighs 10 lbs.)

 

Although the USDA claims the NYC geese were "tested" by PA for lead and other contaminants, they say nothing about bacterial testing.  It can cost up to $200.00 to fully and properly test one goose for all possible contaminants and bacterial types and levels. But, such testing would render the geese cost prohibitive for consideration of a proper and safe food source for distribution to humans -- especially for the small amounts of "edible meat" they actually produce.

 

Another thing to investigate is how much profit per bird any "processing plant" makes from slaughtering the geese?  (Financial incentives and profit motivations for killing geese.)

 

There are in fact, many questions to ask about the 575 geese sent to PA this past summer for so-called, processing for "food donations" before moving on with more planned slaughters .

 

Obviously little actual "food" was obtained from the slain geese and the (taxpayer) costs for roundups, transportation, slaughter, processing and so-called, "testing" would seemingly make this 424 lbs of "edible goose meat" the most expensive food on the planet -- perhaps next to truffles and Russian cavier.

 

But, we don't donate Russian cavier to food banks nor are we serving wild caught, city park Canada geese (i.e. "roadkill") at "Le Cirque" or other fine restaurants.

 

Should the poor people partaking of the "goose meat" get sick, who is even to know?

 

Presumably, most don't have quality health insurance. They are likely to suffer in silence and simply hope they get better.

 

Nevertheless, the bottom line is that instead of asking important questions or getting forthright answers to the ones already asked, we are simply moving ahead with next year's plans to round up remaining NYC geese and spin them off to the same old PR ploys and rationalizations for slaughter.

 

It seems that once in an area, the USDA is entrenched and all the profit wheels, secrecy and media "spins" are put into full blown motion.

 

Unless seriously and successfully challenged, the city of NY and the USDA will not halt its goose "removal" (i.e. eradication) programs until every last NYC goose is dead. 

 

The writing is on the wall.

 

But, not only for the resident geese still magically surviving in NYC, but even the migratory geese, as well.

 

Six weeks into the fall and only 7 migratory geese observed stopping over in CP.

 

It was announced on the news today that the African Black Rhino just went extinct. That was due to decades of human poaching.

 

It is projected that by the end of this century, half the species on earth will go extinct.

 

It seems from all happening now, Canada geese will be among them, as much as some may laugh at that.

 

After all, there used to be hundreds of millions of passenger pigeons. They went extinct in the early part of the last century.

 

Yes, the writing is on the wall, not just for African Black Rhinos, but our beloved geese as well.  -- PCA

 

 

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