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'Red Ken' slaps down bird flap
29/09/2006 18:09 - (SA)
London - London mayor Ken Livingstone on Friday defended his policy of slashing the numbers of pigeons in Trafalgar Square, amid a flap over the cost of keeping the famous tourist landmark bird-free.
Feathers were also flying among animal rights activists after it emerged that two hawks deployed in the square, intended to scare off pigeons, were in fact killing them.
"Red Ken" Livingstone drew criticism when he ordered the clampdown on pigeons from 2000, initially starting with a ban on tourists feeding them. The hawks were introduced in 2002.
But the policy has drastically cut the numbers from an average of 5 000 in 2000 to 1 400 last year, drawing praise in particular from those who have to clean the birds' deposits from statues, paving stones and elsewhere. £90 a bird
However, on Friday new figures revealed the cost of keeping the pigeon population down: at least £226 000, or roughly £90 for every bird removed.
"The pigeons in Trafalgar Square are both a nuisance and a health hazard that most Londoners would be happy to see gone all together," said Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson on the London assembly.
"But at a cost of £ per pigeon removed, serious doubts should be raised about the effectiveness of the scheme as well as its value for money," he added, saying other control methods such as contraception or nesting prevention plus clearer signs banning feeding should be considered. Hawks 'over-zealous'
Then there is the hawks' over-zealous anti-pigeon activities: they have killed 121 pigeons since 2003, according to official figures.
"The mayor is using these hawks as a kind of bloodsport," Julia Fletcher of the Pigeon Action Group told The Guardian newspaper, calling it "the greatest wildlife cruelty catastrophe that London has ever known".
Livingstone remained unflappable.
"The reduction in the number of pigeons on the square has greatly improved the local environment for everyone," said a spokesperson, adding that control measures would continue "as long as necessary".
"The measures mean the square is more hygienic, improving the space for events that are held throughout the year and helping to reduce the cost required to clean listed architecture in the square," he added.
- AFP
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