pFriends of Animals, (FoA) an international animal advocacy organization founded in New York in 1957, with tens of thousands of New York members, strongly opposes the NY Department of Conservationrsquo;s (DEC) Draft Management Plan for Mute Swans in New York State, which calls for the elimination of all free-living mute swans, numbering at 2,200, throughout the state by 2025, and seeks to classify mute swans a ldquo;prohibited species.rdquo;/ppThis scheme clearly has the backing of the National Rifle Association, which views these lovely birds as little more than trophies for bird hunters.img alt=”” src=”/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Mute_Swan_looking_grumpy.jpg” style=”width: 200px; height: 150px; margin: 8px; float: right;” //ppFoA objects to the call for a mass slaughter of mute swans by shooting, gassing, destruction of eggs and sterilization and to the plan for DEC to authorize any property owner, land or water management authority, municipality or other responsible party to control or remove mute swans from their property for any reason.rdquo; We consider such human aggression anathema to a wildlife agency, which should educate the community about the wonderful opportunities in the state of New York to observe, appreciate and photograph all swans./ppIn fact, FoA is requesting that Gov. Andrew Cuomo issue a New York state proclamation to recognize March 10-16, 2014, as Swan Appreciation Week.nbsp;/ppDonald S. Heintzelman, ornithologist, author and authority on Northern migratory swans and mute swans is an advisor to FoA and issued the following statement in February of 2014:nbsp;/ppldquo;My professional opinion is that these public disputes about mute swans are overblown and unnecessary. These birds do not cause catastrophic damage, although most state wildlife agencies have engrained in their official mindsets the notion that mute swans should be destroyed merely because they are non-native species that might compete with native tundra swans and more rarely trumpeter swans. In fact, tundra swans very rarely are seen in New York State (and hence are irrelevant to the agenciesrsquo; mindsets).nbsp;/ppAs for the few trumpeter swans living at two locations in the state, they are geographically far removed from Long Island and thus are not impacted by mute swans on Long Island. Certainly, mute swans are not pushing out New Yorkrsquo;s small population of trumpeter swans./ppFurthermore, arguments that mute swans are aggressive, and also consume large amounts of SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation), are greatly overblownmdash;and represent bad science.rdquo; nbsp;nbsp;/ppAttempts by DEC to deflect criticism to the plan by allowing a small number of mute swans to exist in captivity under human ownership are unacceptable and transparently disingenuous when in truth the goal is to wipe out the species in New York./ppimg alt=”” src=”/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Mute-Swan-Heart.jpg” style=”width: 200px; height: 200px; margin: 8px; float: left;” /Dr. William J.L. Sladen, (MB, BS, MD, DPhil, PM. MBE, professor emeritus, Johns Hopkins University Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD affiliate professor in biology, George Mason University) one of the worldrsquo;s leading authorities on Northern migratory swans, insists that mute swans should not be hunted.nbsp;/ppMute swans are treasured by countless New York residents and tourists who flock to parks and waterways to observe and admire these regal birds gliding across the water. Thousands of FoArsquo;s members and supporters throughout New York State have contacted us and expressed their outrage at the DEC plan to eradicate free-living mute swans in their communities.nbsp;/ppThe mute swan was named by the United State government as the International Symbol of Peace in the 1970s, yet in 2014 the same government wants to eradicate the mute swan, for reasons that we find invalid./ppThe DEC contemptuously classifies mute swans as an ldquo;invasive, non-native speciesrdquo; in spite of the fact that theyrsquo;ve been in New Yorkrsquo;s lower Hudson Valley since the 1800s and are a valued part of the ecosystem by many New York residents, beautifying lakes, ponds and waterways./ppThe population of mute swans in New York has held as stable at around 2,200 for approximately 12 years, especially in regards to their numbers on Long Island, where they are most populous.nbsp;/ppThe flimsy attempt to blame 2,200 mute swans for causing significant environmental damage throughout all of New York State is not credible and lacks scientific evidence. On the contrary, human activity involved in contemporary agricultural methods is a much greater hazard to waterways./ppWhile the diet of mute swans consists of SAV, studies have shown that runoff from fertilizers, pesticides and animal waste contribute significantly to the loss of SAV in other areas, like the Chesapeake Bay.nbsp;/ppSince mute swans constitute only about one half of one percent of the approximately 400,000 waterfowl in New York counted by the DEC, and the nearly half a million waterfowl also consume aquatic vegetation, killing a relatively small population of mute swans will not contribute significantly to SAV recovery. nbsp;Indeed, the DEC offers no conclusive evidence pertaining to the effect of SAV, and merely state that the swans ldquo;couldrdquo; affect SAV./ppMute swans exist in other countries including England, Holland and throughout Europe in far greater numbers than in the United States and are not blamed for ecological problems or targeted for extermination. nbsp;/ppIn regards to the claims that mute swans negatively impact aviation safety, the facts show that there have been only four reported instances of airplanes striking mute swans in New York since 1990. a href=”http://wildlife.faa.gov/database.aspx” target=”_blank”The Federal Aviation Administrationrsquo;s Wildlife Strike Database/a nbsp;confirms this exceeding low number, which any reasonable person would agree cannot possibly be used to wipe out an entire species. nbsp;/ppDemonizing mute swans by classifying them as ldquo;aggressiverdquo; toward humans is a longstanding tactic of government agencies who want to classify a species as game for hunters or who want to make a species they find a nuisance disappear.. nbsp;Mute swans, like many other species, protect their nests and babies. Educating the public to avoid confronting swans or invading their nesting areas with boats and fish-catching equipment would solve any perceived issues.nbsp;/pdivnbsp;/div