Don`t feed pigeons, government says

Feeding pigeons will be banned in public places, the government said yesterday.

Because it is not a legally binding measure, no punishment such as fines will be imposed for now, officials added.

Pigeons were designated as harmful wild animals that damage lives and property in June.

The new measure came as public complaints are growing over the government`s failure to control their numbers and activities.

The current law, which took effective on June 1, allows people to seize pigeons with the approval of local governments. However, experts have doubted the effectiveness, saying that will not fundamentally solve the problem.

With the new plan announced yesterday, the Ministry of Environment will conduct a large-scale investigation into their habitats, sources of food and the types of problems they cause.

In the survey throughout the year, the ministry will monitor the number of pigeons in high-profile places and take follow-up measures in several stages.

"Considering cases in Britain and Switzerland, controlling their food seems to be the most effective way of limiting their number and activities," said a ministry official.



"In cooperation with local governments and civic groups, the government will launch a no-feeding campaign as well as update the measures regularly."

The British government imposes fines of 50 pounds ($75) on those who offer or sell pigeon food and uses remote controlled aircraft that look like hawks to scare away the pigeons.

In Switzerland, officials switch their eggs with fake ones to prevent reproduction, and also ban feeding.

The United States also imposes fines between $45 and $300 for feeding pigeons while providing pigeons with food containing birth-control pills.

Though their acidic droppings and scattered feathers corrode historical structures and inconvenience citizens, there was no legal means to control their activities nationwide.

Passive measures such as antipigeon netting were taken to prevent them from settling on major buildings, but such efforts have been unable to control their activities and numbers.

The pigeon is the most frequently found bird species worldwide. Pigeons usually lay two eggs once or twice a year, but sometimes as much as four to six times.

They also grow quickly. The weight of a pigeon doubles within 34 to 36 hours after birth and they are almost fully grown within four to six weeks.

(jylee@heraldm.com)



By Lee Ji-yoon