Bylaws provide the best bang — for now


Agminister hopeful the future will bring better options for resolving bird control conflicts.


By Judie Steeves T


oday, local bylaws are viewed as the answer to resolving issues between farmers and their neighbours over the noise from propane cannons designed to deter birds from destroying crops. In future, agriculture minister Norm Letnick is hopeful there might be some new options that will be less disruptive for neighbours, and more effective for berry growers, but in the meantime, he’s approved stringent bylaws in Fraser Valley municipalities that he hopes will ‘keep the peace’ between the two sides.


For instance, one day, he envisions using drone technology instead of noisy cannons to scare off marauding birds in local berry fields.


And, he notes it’s important that a variety of tools be used in order to protect ripening fruit from the ravages of birds and other wildlife; ranging from netting and predatory birds to visual scare kites and the propane cannons.


That is just one of the provisions of bylaws approved in Langley, Delta and Abbotsford. The latter approved an Audible Bird Scare Device Bylaw last year, followed in that first year by education of growers, and this year by enforcement of the bylaw.


Farmers must register annually with local government to use such devices and must file a bird predation management plan detailing overall


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efforts at controlling bird damage to fruit, along with documentation of crop damage and names and phone numbers of those tasked with managing operation of the devices. The cannons must also be located at least 200 metres from the nearest residence and they must be used only


when birds are threatening crops. No more than five shots may be emitted every five minutes or 33 per hour.


Preamble to Abbotsford’s bylaw includes: “Audible bird scare devices (including propane cannons) are non- lethal tools used by farmers to


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