Save Our Sandwell Canada Geese

I have already asked a similar question in relation to other matters. But on returning to formal statements made by SMBC, the most telling and candid,   before the spin doctors started to try and tie up Satchwell’s loose cannon threads, were the original statements made by the cabinet member for Highways and Environment Maria Crompton. It is alleged that her portfolio included the parks and open spaces and she approached the cabinet asking for advice. IT SHOULD BE NOTED HOWEVER THAT SATCHWELL’S REPORT IN APRIL 2013 WAS ACTUALLY MADE TO “THE CABINET MEMBER FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES”– WHOEVER THAT WAS.

The abysmally cringing radio interview with her on BBC Radio WM is perfect evidence of the denials and deceit behind this cull.

To listen to the substantive part of this interview click below.

Unrehearsed and unprepared, there are numerous statements made which are now extremely damaging to Sandwell council, and to her reputation personally. This in itself prompted a formal complaint against her, which being “investigated” by her colleagues , was only ever likely to lead to a none investigation as to what she had actually said. The statement which is most telling however in that meeting’s minutes were

“The Sub-Committee took into consideration that the Cabinet Member was confirming information supplied to her by officers which was made in good faith..”

THIS IS RELEVANT TO SANDWELL COUNCIL’S JUSTIFICATION THAT THEY ARE NOW RELYING ON IN TERMS OF USING A NATURAL ENGLAND GENERAL LICENCE AND ALSO THIS QUANGO’S “GUIDANCE” TO CULL THE GEESE.

I have previously looked at how they have confabulated numbers. But on this post I want to focus on one part of the radio interview which raised the topic of egg pricking- an alternative method of non-lethal control mentioned in Natural England guidance, and the method which the council claimed that it’s countryside rangers would undertake during a two week period after the 1997 policy was passed on Canada geese management.

This is what John Satchwell claimed in his April 2013 report.

It should at this point be noted that when asking a formal Freedom of Information Request concerning historic figures of eggs/nests/sites pricked between 1997-2012, Sandwell Council via John Satchwell , parks manager, could offer no recorded figures.

SO LETS TURN TO A SECTION OF THE INTERVIEW WHERE MARIA CROMPTON WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC SUBJECT. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.

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TRANSCRIPT

MOLLIE GREEN:

“Why did the council feel the need to however they were killed/culled, whatever term you want to use, why did the council feel the need to get rid of 220 animals from your park?”

MARIA CROMPTON

” This has been over two years, we only took 70 this year. Unfortunately there are so many, they  breed so well, they’re doing so well all over the country that right across the country other authorities are having to take the same measures to remove geese. There are just too many of them they’re doing so well, and because they foul on the footpaths and in the grass, they they they can poo  every six to twenty minutes. So can you imagine how how much poo we have to remove from the parks?”

MOLLIE GREEN

” So”

MARIA CROMPTON 

” We don’t allow dogs to do this, and geese have got erm, germs within their droppings , so you can get listeria or e-coli or salmonella, from, from their droppings, and we, It’s only in the formal parks where we’re doing this and that’s because people go there with their children and they want to play and they don’t want to have to worry about whether they’re slipping or treading in the poo from the goose…”

MOLLIE GREEN

” Do you ask the public not to feed the animals to stop encouraging them?

MARIA CROMPTON

” We, have erm always asked the public not to feed them..

MOLLIE GREEN

“So there are signs around, the signs are out?”

MARIA CROMPTON

“Well, it’s the same as pigeons, we ask people not to feed pigeons, but people like to feed pigeons, and to be fair these geese are so territorial that they will attack people so it’s only, you know, we’ve had numerous complaints of people being attacked by the geese . We wouldn’t tolerate this from other animals”

MOLLIE GREEN 

” OK”

MARIA CROMPTON

” So unfortunately it’s not something that we want to do  but we felt the need that it was getting out of control we had to do something.”

MOLLIE GREEN

“So Maria none of these birds have been bred in Tipton in Victoria Park, none of them have hatched with you, you deal with the eggs do you?”

MARIA CROMPTON

” Over the years we oil and prick the eggs   to try and keep the number of geese down, because there are just too many of them.”

MOLLIE GREEN 

” So nothing has hatched?”

MARIA CROMPTON

” There should have been no babies. I’ve been told that there are no babies. No goslings were taken, only adult birds.”

MOLLIE GREEN

” So all of these hundreds of birds fly in to your park?”

MARIA CROMPTON

” We have numerous birds within our parks. Erm and the ones we took from erm Tipton, I don’t know whether it was 50 or 70 birds , they’re now back up to 50 again at the moment.”

MOLLIE GREEN

“These are the ones that have flown in, they’re definitely not hatching with you? It’s very easy to take eggs off.

MARIA CROMPTON

” No, No No, They’re not hatching with us, No.”

 THE EVIDENCE

I have looked extensively about the nonsense concerning complaints that were none existent which were revealed in another FOI request.

I have looked at the nonsense concerning health risks and SMBC’s own farm animal risks to the public at the scrutiny meeting, and I note that she cites notifiable animal health diseases,  yet cannot appear to see the bizarre logic in introducing unscreened birds into a farm setting where they are breeding turkeys for human consumption!

Her claims about geese flying in appear to contrast with the statement made by the leader of the council Darren Cooper in a later letter to a resident.

But what about the egg pricking myth 1997-2012, being put forward here by the Cabinet member?

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What about her claims that ” No, No No, They’re not hatching with us, No.”

Juvenile Canada goose goslings at Dartmouth Park taken 16^th July 2011.

Sheepwash Nature Reserve circa 1999.

Note the young goslings in evidence, but also note the Ryder house Block of Flats within the shot, with which Sandwell council boasted about demolishing. These were demolished in October 2002, which proves beyond doubt that egg pricking was not carried out at this site by the countryside rangers. Numerous goslings hatching at several sites were in evidence throughout the period when the council claimed that egg pricking would be carried out. IN SHORT THE CLAIMS ARE LIES. Note the council PR puff piece on youtube of the demolition event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re7-6saeQjA

http://www.friendsofdartmouthpark.org.uk/images/No.%2025%20-%20June%202012.pdf

The above Friends of Dartmouth park newsletter is rather damning as a piece of evidence which shoots down in flames the council’s and Maria Crompton’s on air claims as lies.

Shown on page 3 are pictures taken at the park by one of the FDP group at a time when John Satchwell’s son, John Satchwell was in charge as project manager.

Perhaps the goslings are being “relocated” by their parents?

Goslings hatched in Dartmouth Park June 2012, 10 months before John Satchwell’s report which claimed egg pricking had been undertaken

At least 25 goslings are clearly visible in this June 2012 photo, and not only that but it confirms that swan breeding success were not affected by those numbers also, as some officer liars had tried to claim, and which the leader of the council Darren Cooper even stated in a letter to a resident.  

“Their aggressive behaviour during the breeding season prevented other wildfowl resident in the park from rearing their young”

Compare this irrefutable evidence with the nonsense stated by John Satchwell in his report just months later and Maria Crompton in her radio interview concerning egg pricking. THEIR CLAIMS WERE KNOWN LIES, BUT DID JOHN SATCHWELL AND OTHERS MISLEAD HER INTO MAKING THESE FALSE STATEMENTS?

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MOLLIE GREEN

“These are the ones that have flown in, they’re definitely not hatching with you? It’s very easy to take eggs off.

MARIA CROMPTON

” No, No No, They’re not hatching with us, No.”

IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS LIED TO THE PUBLIC, AND COUNCILLORS AND HAS SHOWN INCOMPETENCE IN POSITION IS ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN CHARGE OF SANDWELL’S PARKS AND OPEN SPACES. THIS ONLY CONTINUES ONE TO WONDER WHAT “LEADERSHIP” IS IN CHARGE OF SANDWELL COUNCIL POLITICALLY?

We have challenged Sandwell council to present clear data regards “the significant increase” in adult goose numbers. This is important because it appears to be an issue with which John Satchwell/Sandwell council is obsessed. At different times he and others speaking on behalf of SMBC have made different claims about goose numbers, which taken collectively weaken the council’s case in that they are inconsistent. These statements concerning numbers are set out below chronologically and the source from which they are taken. The majority of these we have placed in the public domain on our website.

According to the park oracle, adult goose numbers have apparently increased year on year.

 SANDWELL COUNCIL CLAIM TO HAVE CULLED 220 BIRDS- 50 AT VICTORIA PARK IN 2013 WHICH WAS VIDEOED BY MYSELF AND 100 FROM DARTMOUTH PARK- FOR WHICH THERE APPEARS NO INDEPENDENT CORROBORATION. A FURTHER 70 WERE NOTED TO BE KILLED IN 2014. 27 SURVIVING BIRDS WERE COUNTED THAT MORNING BY MYSELF, AT WHICH POINT JOHN SATCHWELL AND OTHERS CONTINUED TO LIE ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THEM- THAT IS UNTIL I MADE A FORMAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST WHERE THEN AND ONLY THEN THE FIGURES WERE REVEALED.

 1. “Large numbers of Canada geese are reported each year on Sandwell’s Parks and Open Spaces; as many as 700 hundred birds may be present at any one time.”

John Satchwell’s report to Cabinet member for Neighbourhood services dated April 2013

Reported by whom, where is the evidence and breakdown of figures- and the change in figures on the two parks in question “year on year” which shows a “significant increase”. How can this have happened if egg pricking was being undertaken by the countryside rangers, as the 1997 policy claimed would be the case?

2  “It is clearly evident the numbers have significantly increased to a point where by they have become a concern to public health and public safety?”

Letter from Maria Crompton to myself dated 14^th August 2014  

What figures do the council have to justify such an action? By what numbers have they increased and over what time period?

Just two weeks later she appeared to have invented a number of geese

3. “With more than 1,000 geese grazing in our parks and a pair of geese rearing anything from four to eight goslings a season, the numbers had got out of control, especially at Victoria Park, Tipton, and Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich.”

Statement made by Maria Crompton via press release/SMBC facebook 27/8/14

NOTE- NO NUMBERS ARE GIVEN FOR THE TWO PARKS to prove that the figures had “significantly increased”- THE COUNCIL HIDE BEHIND A ROUNDED FIGURE FOR THE WHOLE BOROUGH- a number we dispute in any case.

4. “To answer your question regarding the variance in numbers I can inform you that counts have been undertaken over several years and there is clear evidence that geese can at times be migratory birds therefore numbers can fluctuate up or down.”

Steve Handley letter dated 17^th November 2014 as part of an FOI request

This statement makes a number of contradictions which do not help the council’s own arguments.

LET US SEE THE CLEAR EVIDENCE WHICH THE COUNCIL HAVE AS YET NOT PRODUCED. WHO UNDERTOOK THESE COUNTS? HE STATES THERE IS “CLEAR EVIDENCE” THAT GEESE CAN BE MIGRATORY- SO NUMBERS CAN FLUCTUATE. DOES HE NOT SEE THEREFORE THE MAJOR FLAW IN STATEMENTS MADE BY BOTH JOHN SACTHWELL AND MARIA CROMPTON REGARDS NUMBERS IN SANDWELL AND THE TWO PARKS IN QUESTION? YES THE BIRDS MOVE ABOUT AND FLY BETWEEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS- SO ELEMENTARY THE NUMBERS ARE NOT STATIC AND THEREFORE HAVE NOT “SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED” IN THE TWO PARKS. THIS WOULD REQUIRE DAILY MONITORING- LET’S SEE THE COUNCIL’S FIGURES OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.

5.  “For a number of years there has been a significant increase in the Canada Geese population in our parks. In 2013 a count was taken which identified there to be in the region of 1000 Canada Geese living in these parks…

“The two parks in question had over 300 geese residing”

Letter from Darren Cooper to a Tipton resident dated 8^th December 2014

So from John Satchwell’s figure of 700 in April 2013 the leader of Sandwell council now appears to have acquired a figure of 1000 and now has arrived at 300 in just the two parks alone.

WE DISPUTE THESE FIGURES TOTALLY- THEY ARE INVENTION. THIS MEANS THAT JOHN SATCHWELL ESTIMATES THAT NEARLY HALF OF THE 700 GEESE HE QUOTES IN HIS ORIGINAL REPORT WERE RESIDENT IN JUST THESE TWO PARKS, WHICH IS ABSOLUTE UTTER NONSENSE. HIS BOSS STEVE HANDLEY HOWEVER RECOGNISES THEY ARE “MIGRATORY” DON’T FORGET and that

“therefore numbers can fluctuate up or down.”

6. “I would like to make it clear there still exists a significant number of Canada Geese within the two parks and at the last count in September over 120 geese were counted.”

Maria Crompton letter to Animal Aid dated 14^th November 2014

With this figure and the reported 220 killed in 2013-14 we arrive at a figure of 340 for the two parks- A FIGURE WE TOTALLY DISPUTE WERE PRESENT. THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE THAN 100 BIRDS AT EITHER SITE AT ANY ONE TIME- AND TO REQUOTE STEVE HANDLEY

“numbers can fluctuate up or down.”

7. “For a number of years the Canada geese population had grown to significant numbers, with recent counts identifying up to 1000 geese residing in parks across the borough.”

 “I must emphasise that it is not the council’s intention to cull all geese. Presently there are still over 100 Canada geese living in the parks and other geese will be allowed to flourish in our nature reserves, alongside other wildlife.”

Letter from Darren Cooper to a campaigner dated 20^th January 2015

So we get a slightly less accurate figure here, but still a rounded one which appears to be the council’s entire argument.

Cooper’s claim about allowing the geese to flourish was nonsense given that egg pricking took place on Forge Mill Nature reserve just 3 months after this letter– so his claims are lies and provide false information.

 8. “Regarding specific matters you raise, over 100 geese continue to reside at the two parks where culling took place. In the region of 600 geese can be found in our parks, nature reserves and canals within Sandwell. “

Undated letter from John Satchwell to a campaigner but after Darren Cooper’s earlier one.  

 So John Satchwell now states that 600 geese are present, including Sandwell’s canal system for which the council has no management responsibility. THIS OF COURSE MEANS THAT THERE ARE LESS THAN 600 ON SANDWELL’S FORMAL PARKS. IT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE ARE LESS ON THE TWO CULL PARKS.

9. “2.9 A report was undertaken in March 2013 which identified in the region of 700 Canada geese residing within our parks and green spaces. The count identified that two parks, namely Victoria Park, Tipton and Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich , had in excess of 300 geese within these two parks alone.”

Statement by Steve Handley and Adrian Scarrott 25^th February 2015

This obviously refers to John Satchwell’s original report, which did not identify any figures for the two parks, so one questions where these figures which we totally dispute suddenly appear from. WE ALSO QUESTION HOW THIS FIGURE “SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED” IN THESE TWO PARKS SINCE 1997 WHEN THEY CLAIMED THE COUNTRYSIDE RANGERS WOULD BE UNDERTAKING EGG PRICKING ON ALL OF SANDWELL’S POOLS?

 Recently we finally after “significant” (to use Sandwell council’s favourite word) delay got an answer to a question posed in a freedom of information request regarding how the council had arrived at their conclusions regarding numbers of geese at the two parks.

Q1.            Whether the Council holds any recorded information which confirms that adult goose numbers have increased on the formal park sites, as well as confirmation of whether the Council has any recorded counts of adult birds on the formal parks- specifically Victoria Park Tipton and Dartmouth Park West Bromwich.

A “I can confirm that in 2013, the Wardens undertook a visual count of all venues where Canada Geese were present and, in total, over 700 were identified. However, no recorded information is held.

With regards to numbers within formal Parks, Dartmouth Park and Victoria Park were identified as having the largest populations of Canada Geese within the Borough, the visual count identified over 300 adult Geese.” 

So we therefore finally  have confirmation from Sandwell Council itself that Sandwell council’s cull took place on the basis of a one off count undertaken by their dog dung finers, AND THAT THEY CANNOT EVEN PRODUCE ANY EVIDENCE WHICH RECORDED THIS LET ALONE GO BACK TO 1997 TO PROVE HOW MANY GEESE THEY HAD STARTED FROM, OR THAT THERE HAS BEEN A “YEAR ON YEAR” INCREASE AS SATCHWELL CLAIMED. THAT IS NOT A “SIGNIFICANT” INCREASE IN NUMBERS, IT IS SIGNIFICANT PROVISION OF FALSE INFORMATION ON WHICH TO BASE SUCH A DRASTIC POLICY!

NO EVIDENCE CAN BE PROVIDED BY SANDWELL COUNCIL TO JUSTIFY THIS STATEMENT- FACT

It is clear from this that the council’s records are poor, and also we believe contrived even since after the cull took place which raises the question as to what real, credible and independent documented evidence the council has to prove that goose numbers have “significantly increased” or if they have even gone up at all?

Did the park wardens have nothing better to do with their time than start counting geese, and who (baring in mind that they come under the direct control of John Satchwell), instructed them to undertake the exercise? Why is there no consideration for other species being counted? It is evident that the reasons for the cull do not identify the geese as being a threat to other species, given the licence that the council applied for was ; “threat to public health and public safety.”

Given that it is claimed that they undertook the count in March (no date or time recorded or over what time period), are they not aware that numbers at this point in time would be different to those later or earlier in the year?  Did they synchronise watches and station themselves in all of Sandwell’s parks and open spaces when undertaking the counts?- Given that geese have wings and travel as Steve Handley acknowledges, there is the distinct possibility that they may have logged the same birds in different locations. Unfortunately controls and discussions on fallibility of statistics, which the council apparently have no recorded data for did not make it into John Satchwell’s briefing report.

The council also claim to be following Natural England Guidance, yet numbers alone do not constitute the need for a lethal cull or demonstrate a public health issue, especially when the council cannot when challenged produce any recorded evidence of an increase in numbers.

• “Culling the adult population at a site may simply allow non breeding adults from nearby waters to move in to vacated breeding territories. “
• “Before embarking on the large scale destruction of geese it is important to be sure that the birds that you are removing are actually the ones that are causing the problem.”

“Natural England Technical Information Note TIN009  The management of problems caused by Canada geese: a guide to best practice”

It is not evident that there is “a problem” in terms of public health at all with goose numbers- as was revealed at the scrutiny meeting where the council could offer no direct evidence from within their own sites.  It is less clear as to how the council were aware that birds counted in March at the two parks were the same ones there in July that were killed. There is no mention of this in John Satchwell’s report, indeed we pointed this out at an early stage. The only strategy promoted in John Satchwell’s report which was entitled “options” is for culling. Thus he does not take into account integrated management techniques mentioned in the Natural England guidance.

Finally in the week that the press finally caught up with health and safety failings regarding a firework fiasco in Brunswick park where a certain someone in SMBC  claimed that they would “take responsibility” for failing to adhere to health and safety legislation if something went wrong, it is quite ironic that the council appear to have little regard for the members of the public that they claim to be protecting from harmless geese. Indeed statements of description of the high numbers in the human crowd, (estimated 12,000+ did the wardens count them 😆 ?) being “aggressive” and “intimidating” appear to almost be strangely familiar to the council’s portrayal of less than “700” birds.

It’s advent calendar time for one last time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 24 of the story opens today.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 23 of the story opens today.

JUST WHAT IS SANDWELL COUNCIL’S DIRECTION AND POLICY WITH CANADA GEESE?

It’s as clear as mustard.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 22 of the story opens today.

Biased questionnaire. How to claim that a “consultation” has taken place to push through a policy where culling is still very much likely in the future. We have looked at this in more detail HERE. Of particular concern is what version of current “policy” was communicated to the public completing the questionnaires.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 21 of the story opens today.

Non-lethal management. It has been tried elsewhere with success in reducing conflicts. Until Sandwell address their own issue of how they manage their formal parks and nature reserves, the geese will continue to graze on natural pasture available.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 20 of the story opens today.

Forgotten policy. In 1997 the then leisure committee had passed a policy on Canada geese, which stated in a report that non-lethal egg pricking would be undertaken. No mention of this was revealed in the 2013 officer report, and it is conveniently stated that the 1997 report is no longer in council hands. This confirms that no consultation in a change of policy was undertaken before culling took place.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 19 of the story opens today.

This letter from Sandwell council’s main legal advisor confirms and admits that the council did not follow proper procedures concerning the recording of complaints, change of policy or seeking external advice. NONE OF THIS WAS ADMITTED AT THE SCRUTINY MEETING WHICH THE “SCUTINY” COMMITTEE HAD DECIDED TO TAKE NO ACTION. It suggests that officers misled councillors.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 18 of the story opens today.

The Lies of Sandwell Council.  Receiving the independent investigation into a complaint made about Sandwell council’s goose cull, the part of complaint concerning provision of false information was upheld and the lies admitted- not through truthful honour but because the council were aware that some conversations had been recorded.

It’s advent calendar time. 24 doors mixing the fight against corruption with hope to save the geese of Sandwell. Door 17 of the story opens today.

Despite handing in a petition containing over 1700 signatures, and presenting a case which proved that the council had very little evidence to substantiate their cull, the committee of “scrutiny councillors” decided to take “No Action” on the petition, or launch an investigation into events that had taken place, including the provision of false information from the very officer answering most of the questions under “scrutiny”!