2 Jun 2013

Cull of black swans in Tauranga harbour

9:54 am on 2 June 2013

An organised cull of black swans in Tauranga harbour is scheduled to take place on Sunday afternoon.

Fish Game has issued a permit to the Western Bay Fish Game Club to use boats to move the birds away from public areas in the harbour to an isolated bay where the shootings will take place.

Black swans are a recreational game bird that are allowed to be hunted. There are about 5000 in the harbour.

Fish Game said the swans could pose a threat to seagrass beds, which are important areas for juvenile fish species and habitats for marine ecology.