Wildlife killed at the airport

Summary

The request sought details on wildlife culling at the Isle of Man Airport, including species, methods, and relocation figures for the last three years. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed that culling is a regulatory requirement for aviation safety, involving shooting and trapping, with no veterinary involvement or relocation of animals.

Key Facts

• Wildlife hazard management is a regulatory requirement by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to safely operate the airfield.
• Culling methods include shooting with shotguns or air rifles and trapping in ladder traps followed by humane culling.
• No veterinarian is involved in the culling process, as there is no requirement on the Island or in the UK for one to be present.
• Staff involved in culling undergo competency training at a local shooting range for target proficiency and safe firearm handling.
• Trapped birds are not relocated to other areas; they are either released or culled under DEFA licences.

Data Disclosed

• 18 bird strikes occurred in 2018
• Figures provided for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 to date
• Birds weighing 1 kilogram or heavier can cause an airfield to be classed as 'dangerous'
• Reports to DEFA must be submitted every 6 months
• Request received on 1 July 2019
• Response sent on 17 July 2019

Original Request

How many birds are killed at the airport each year by humans? What species are they? How many other animals are killed at the airport each year by humans? How are they killed? Is a vet involved in the process? If so, which one? What experience and qualifications do the "killers"have? Are the birds/ animals trapped alive first? If so, how many are relocated to other areas? If they are no relocated to other areas, why is this? Please can you provide figures for the last three years.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: DPO-DOI@gov.im

Our ref: 869465 17 July 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 1 July 2019 and which states:

"How many birds are killed at the airport each year by humans? What species are they?
How many other animals are killed at the airport each year by humans? How are they killed? Is a vet involved in the process? If so, which one? What experience and qualifications do the "killers" have? Are the birds/ animals trapped alive first? If so, how many are relocated to other areas? If they are no relocated to other areas, why is this? Please can you provide figures for the last three years."

Our response is in sections to correspond with the different aspects of your enquiry. How many birds are killed at the airport each year by humans? What species are they? Please refer to the figures in the table on page 3 for numbers and types of species culled at the Airport during 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 to date. The current methods of culling are shooting with either shotgun or air rifle and trapping in a ladder trap followed by humane and efficient culling in line with authorised methods. A number of the birds listed in the table may have been culled after being struck and injured by aircraft, so therefore euthanized in the quickest and most effective way. Wildlife hazard management is a regulatory requirement by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to safely operate an airfield. How many other animals are killed at the airport each year by humans? How are they killed? Wildlife is routinely discouraged from the airfield through recorded bird distress calls, human presence near the wildlife and the use of pyrotechnic bird scaring cartridges. Where wildlife persistently remains around the airfield, lethal force then becomes the only option. If a bird is struck by an aircraft, it can be sucked into the engine intake causing engine failure or fire, or potentially cause an aircraft to veer off the runway.

The worst case scenario is that a strike can cause a crash, therefore any form of strike is extremely hazardous to aircraft, crew and passengers. If a bird weighing 1 kilogram or heavier is struck by an aircraft within a 12 month period, the airfield may be classed as ‘dangerous’ by the CAA. If a similar strike in terms of size were to occur within the same 12 month period, the airfield could potentially be closed for failing to sufficiently manage the risk.
Despite habitat controls at the Isle of Man Airport, bird strikes do take place with 18 occurring in 2018. The risk posed by mammals such as rabbits is less in terms of strikes, however the CAA recommend that the rabbit population be controlled as they are a food source for certain avian species. Given our coastal location near farmland, some form of wildlife control is inevitable at the Isle of Man Airport. Is a vet involved in the process? If so, which one? A vet is not involved in this process, there is currently no requirement either on Island or in the UK to have a vet present for the culling of birds. The Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture (DEFA) have been consulted previously and are content with the methods employed and the species being culled. DEFA issue licences under the Wildlife Act 1990 to the Airport to cull and trap certain species of wildlife for the specific purpose of aviation safety. The use of lethal force along with other forms of habitat management, e.g. maintaining grass levels and weed control, is standard practice at airfields. What experience and qualifications do the "killers" have? The staff that are carrying out the culling have taken guidance from DEFA, who carry out similar operations for vulnerable species for the purpose of wildlife protection during nesting seasons. Only staff who are willing, competent and confident carrying out this unfortunately essential task are involved, which should create the least amount of stress on the wildlife. All staff involved carry out competency training at a local shooting range for target proficiency and safe firearm handling skills. Are the birds/animals trapped alive first? If so, how many are relocated to other areas? If they are no relocated to other areas, why is this? Birds are trapped alive within a ladder trap before release or culling under the terms of the licences issued by DEFA. The licence stipulates that birds be trapped in accordance with section 8 (1) of the Wildlife Act 1990, traps must be of sufficient height, length or breadth to permit birds to stretch their wings freely. The licences also state the following conditions:- • Airport bird records concerning birds controlled and birds present on the airfield must be reported to DEFA every 6 months; • Consideration must be given to further methods of dissuading the interest of birds in the airfield (this is fulfilled by habitat management including the cutting of grass, playing of recorded bird distress calls, human presence and the use of pyrotechnic bird scaring cartridges as detailed previously); • The trap must be operated with the minimum of distress to the birds;

• Only one decoy bird may be kept in the trap to act as a decoy to attract the target species, which must be provided with adequate food, water, shelter and a perch for the period it is being used; • Any avian species captured which are not covered by the licenses are to be immediately released unharmed when found; • Where traps or nets are left in the open but not in use, they must be rendered incapable of holding or catching birds or other animals. The operational guidance issued by the Isle of Man Airport Rescue and Firefighting Service states the following in respect of the welfare of the trapped wildlife: • The trap must be checked at least once in a 24 hour period by an authorised person. Any of the species covered by licences are to be culled in a humane and efficient manner at the first opportunity of seeing birds trapped; • At the end of the duty shift, if no staff on duty are willing to humanely cull the trapped birds they are to be released back into the environment; • Any decoy bird must spend no longer than 24 hours in the trap. Animals are not currently relocated elsewhere; this is something that would be considered if a rare breed were involved. In this case, advice would be taken from DEFA and specialists would be called in to handle this on the Airport’s behalf. Please can you provide figures for the last three years Species 2016 2017 2018 2019 to date Total Black Headed Gull 1 1 2 Carrion Crow 7 7 Crow 14 4 2 4 24 Greater Black Back Gull 1 1 Herring Gull 5 18 19 25 67 Hooded Crow 2 2 Jackdaw 1 3 4 Oyster Catcher 2 2 Pheasant 9 9 14 32 Pigeon 1 1 2 Rabbit 124 30 27 19 200 Rook 1 7 9 2 1 Starling 12 12 Swallow 1 1 Grand total 157 70 68 80 375

Please quote the reference number 869465 in any future communications.

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