Goose management program starts 17th year

The Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program is about to start its annual egg-addling program to manage introduced populations of non-migratory Canada geese.

It involves shaking eggs or coating them with non-toxic, biodegradable, food-grade corn oil within 14 days of incubation to make them non-viable and returning them to the nest.

Geese will then continue to incubate until they realize the eggs will not hatch, usually too late in the year to produce more.

The program is already underway and continues until mid-May.

Organizers say the program is responsible for preventing the goose population (an estimated 2,500 birds) from growing out of control. In the program’s 16 years of addling, more than 21,000 eggs have been addled, equating to an estimated 11,000 – 16,000 geese not entering the population, not including the thousands of offspring that could have hatched over the years.

The OVGMP is a partnership between City of Vernon, Regional District of North Okanagan, District of Coldstream, District of Lake Country, Central Okanagan Regional District, City of Kelowna, Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, City of Penticton, Town of Osoyoos, Town of Oliver, District of Peachland, and District of Summerland.

More information about the program is available at okanagangooseplan.com.