​Peninsula City Readies To Rally Against Killing Geese

FOSTER CITY, CA — Foster City earlier this week advanced a controversial plan to reduce its geese population, and now animal rights activists opposed to the plan are gearing up for a fight.

In Defense of Animals (IDA) will protest the Peninsula city’s Canada Goose depredation plan at a rally scheduled for 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall (610 Foster City Blvd.).

The depredation plan, which the City Council backed Tuesday, authorizes the killing of up to 100 birds.

An overabundant Foster City waterfowl population that’s led to potential health hazards, deteriorating lagoon water quality and other sanitation concerns, compelled the council to take action, a spokesperson for the city said.

Testing on lagoon water has shown elevated bacteria levels that can be directly linked to the geese.

IDA spokesperson Lisa Levinson blasted the city’s plan and called for nonlethal methods of addressing the city’s geese population.

“Foster City’s decision to break the necks of up to 100 geese is despicable — and it won’t work,” Levinson said in a statement.

“New geese will be attracted to plentiful resources in the area, and the killing cycle will start all over again. Nonlethal goose stewardship practices are available now, but the Council of Foster City chose to kill innocent animals instead.

“That’s why our National Goose Protection Coalition charged the agency with Gander Slander. Compassion must be a guiding principle for decisions related to the wellbeing of geese, who are our wild animal neighbors.”

Residents with feedback about the city's geese plan are encouraged to email geese@fostercity.org.

— Bay City News contributed to this report