The overpopulation of geese in New York City is going to help those in need in Pennsylvania this summer, according to a spokesman for the New York Department of Environmental Protection.
Last summer, 1,676 Canada geese were slaughtered in an effort to control the city's goose population and improve aviation safety, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. But this year, instead of being sent to landfills, the geese will be transported to Pennsylvania and used to feed the hungry there, DEP spokesman Farrell Sklerov said.
The USDA reached out to Pennsylvania on the city's behalf since New York state does not currently have a system in place to donate slaughtered geese to shelters, whereas Pennsylvania does. "It's something the city had always wanted to do, but there wasn't a process in place in New York," Sklerov said. "We're hopeful that by next year we should be able to feed people in New York."
For this year, the city will cover the cost of transporting the geese to Pennsylvania, where they will be processed and distributed to food banks, shelters, and other places that feed those in need, according to Sklerov.
The USDA started to control the geese population in New York three years ago after geese got into the engines of US Airways flight 1549, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing into the Hudson River.
"The city's main priority is the protection of the flying public, so if there are large pockets of geese near airports we will take the same steps as previously, but if we can use the geese for those in need, we thought it would be worthwhile to do so," Sklerov said.
Meanwhile, animal rights activists still oppose killing geese to control the population. In a statement, the ASPCA said, "The ASPCA strongly recommends a combination of non-lethal alternatives in order to prevent circumstances that call for the elimination of large populations of Canada geese." They did not comment specifically on the new plan to donate the geese to those in need.
According to the DEP, the USDA is conducting site surveys to determine where the geese are and how many there are around New York City this season.
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I believe that PETA is one of the most harmful organizations of all time.
@Joey: Why is Peta so bad? There's nothing wrong with making man a little more humane, provided it's done within reason..
PETA does not have a clue what happens in the wild!!!
@turducken – Per the article, PETA doesn't seem to be concerned with how these geese are killed. Seems to me that if the geese are killed in a respectful manner and fed to the homeless, then PETA really has nothing to comment on. Humans are meant to eat meat – we've got 4 teeth in our heads to prove it.
Hey Turduckin - at the end of your statement you answered your own question and don't even realize it. Hardly ever does PETA do anything within reason.
If they don't lay GOLDEN EGGS, kill 'em and eat 'em...
Hunters have been helping feed the hungry for hundreds of years. When you're hungry you'll eat what's put in front of you. May as well harvest the geese. In most places their numbers have gotten out of control. If they can serve the needy then the cycle is complete.
Goose is a strong tasting meat but prepared correctly, it is great. It's shameful that NYC has been tossing them in the trash. I and a lot of other hunters would gladly take them for the table.
The person who implemented this deserves an attaboy or attagirl as appropriate. Wasting 8 to 10 pounds of good protein when hunger exists around the world is a sin. Bravo!
There's a valuable lesson to be learned here. Feed wild animals and they keep coming back. Feed homeless and they keep coming back.
PA is a gross state, they shoot captive animals– open cages and shoot- anything deemed "nuisance" I avoid all travel and purchases from this state. they are all neanderthals.
After seeing the movie Unstoppable I'm convinced half the state of Pa are drooling mouth breathers.
Well you're a blatant liar.
@Turduckin, that was not the real Joey that said that about PETA. It was actually an as-hole who eats pig vomit and has a POS hore as his mother.
@James: k
FREE THE COWS
Birds are meant to fly. Planes aren't, they are inventions of man. So the bird is where it should be. The plane is where man takes it... Kill the birds, they are in the way...
Your house is on an animals natural habitat. Burn it down and go live in a tree.
I'm pretty sure that when planes are built they are most definitely meant to fly.
I'm confused. Are we or are we not mid-2011? There are many other humane alternatives to solve issues. Man has this kill, shoot, mame, it's in my way mentality. Birds fly, it's a natural state of affairs in there day. We should be more alarmed by planes and the pollution spewing people shuttles they are. We can work on making our world a cleaner place where we all can c-exist. Wow what a concept...co-existing with animals! I say we get back to the Native AMerican philosophies. Caring for the planet and all who occupy it. The killing has to stop!!
Native american philosophies? They have always killed the birds (For Food). I am also against killing for no reason.
Ick.
Sad reality, if the gop had their way they would be sending the Middle Class along with the Geese too Pennsyivania and goldman sachs will be happy to pay the shipping charges.
So who has the problems with overpopulation – geese or humans? It sounds like both – eating our brothers and sisters will not solve the problem of human overpopulation or poverty. Taxing people who have children instead of giving them tax breaks is a beginning. . .
It worked for Soylent green
Not really China tried that and it didnt work so well. There is only one solution. START MORE WARS!!!!!!!!
We should only soot them if they intend to start riots around hockey arenas.
Same problem in West county, St. Louis but with deer. Everyone was potting in water holes and deer food plus salt licks to bring them into their back yards, Bambi was so cute. Deer knew they were not being hunted so a few turned into hundreds, Bambi coming into your BMW at forty miles a hour was not so cute. Hunting them in the burbs with high powered rifles was out of the question so some pro bow hunters volunteered to get rid of them, them the animal rights people got involved and I stopped paying attention. Stupid people all of them, dear are not pets, they eat your shrubs, your flowers and everything in your garden. LOL
except deer arent protected species...deer arent in danger of going extinct the geese are.
LOL! Canadian geese are nowhere near extinction. Not even close, 'tard.
On the contrary. The Canadian goose is classified as having little or no concern for conservation. They are not in any way in danger of extinction and are not a protected species, I guarantee you can't sit on your front lawn for more than an hour without seeing some fly over