US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Control of Mute Swans on Federal Lands
United States Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Washington, D.C. 20240
March 1998
In Reply Refer To: FWS/MBMO/98-00043
Memorandum
To: Regional Directors, Regions 1-7
From: Acting Director, Rowan W. Gould
Subject: Control of Mute Swans on Federal Lands
Mute swans (Cygnus olor) were first introduced into North America from Europe in the late 1980s and are now established in all four Flyways. Feral populations of this exotic species continue to grow steadily throughout the Atlantic Flyway and upper mid-western States of the Mississippi Flyway. However, in the Chesapeake Bay and in southern New England, mute swan numbers are increasing rapidly. According to a 1996 survey, mute swan numbers in Maryland have increased by more than 900 percent (from 264 to 2,717) and nearly doubled in the Atlantic Flyway in just 10 years. Since they are equally suited to coastal and freshwater wetlands, and as populations expand, these birds are finding new habitats to occupy. As a result, there is increasing evidence of conflicts with native wildlife, habitat destruction due to feeding habits and behavior, and mounting nuisance complaints from the general public. If uncontrolled, mute swans pose a serious threat to the ecological integrity of many areas, including the National Wildlife Refuge System and other Federal lands committed to the maintenance of natural wildlife diversity.
Several States have enacted mute swan control policies that include egg addling,the removal of problem birds, and prohibitions against the import, export or sale of these birds and their eggs. Other States are contemplating similar forms of control in the future. The Atlantic Flyway Council has recently adopted a policy to control mute swans in the Atlantic Flyway and is urging State and Federal partnerships to institute effective management programs in order to control existing population levels while preventing establishment of new problem areas. I support this approach and in order to strengthen this effort by the Atlantic Flyway Council, please ensure that all Service managers take effective steps to protect those habitats under our jurisdiction from degradation and destruction by mute swans.
The general public's perception of mute swans is one of grace and beauty and most people are unaware of the problems related to their presence in existing habitats. The lic should know about our native swans and the potential threat of mute swan expansion to the health and status of our native waterfowl species. Therefore, an outreach effort to increase public awareness should be an integral part of our policy to control numbers of mute swans on Service lands.
Maryland Mute Swan Task Force Recommendations
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS
Atlantic Flyway Mute Swan Survey-1999
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