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Celebrating the Year of the Snake in Richmond p. B1-12
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wednesday, february 6, 2013
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Shark fin bill awaits vote Federal politicians set for debate over whether to ban shark fin imports by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter Civic politicians will soon learn if a shark fin ban will find traction on Parliament Hill, as a federal bill seeking to prohibit imports is set for a vote Monday. NDP MP Fin Donnelly is seeking to win a majority of votes to approve second reading of Bill C-380. The proposed legislation is aimed at halting the practice of shark finning, which Donnelly described in the House as “horrific.” It was introduced as a private member’s bill—bills that rarely become law—but that hasn’t deterred the Vancouver Animal Defense League, which has now moved on from lobbying local governments. “We’re in the home stretch right now,” said activist Anthony Marr, who urged Richmond council in July 2012 to ban shark fin. “We’re doing a campaign of contacting all the MPs, both by e-mail and by phone.” Marr is concentrating on the government’s Conservative MPs, saying he believes members of the NDP and Liberal parties are already in support. It’s not clear where Richmond’s MPs stand. Neither Richmond MP Alice Wong nor Delta-Richmond East MP KerryLynn Findlay were available for comment yesterday. But last year Wong came out in support of restaurateurs serving shark fin soup by slurping a bowl at The Jade Seafood Restaurant for Chinese media. See Page 4
Shark fin bans •Coquitlam: Ban endorsed May 14, 2012 •Port Moody: Bylaw adopted May 22, 2012 •Abbotsford: Resolution to research ban Sept. 10, 2012 •City of North Vancouver: Bylaw adopted Oct. 1, 2012 •Nanaimo: Bylaw adopted Oct. 1, 2012 •Maple Ridge: Bylaw adopted Nov. 13, 2012 •Langley Township: Ban endorsed Oct. 22, 2012 •Langley City: Resolution adopted Oct. 22, 2012 •White Rock: Resolution adopted Oct. 29, 2012 •New Westminster: Bylaw adopted Dec. 10, 2012 * Source: Corporation of Delta
The Goosinator is a bright orange goose-scaring machine, whose inventor says is a tool akin to a lawnmower.
Goosinator pitched in fowl fight Snow geese could meet their match in $3,000 invention by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter Snow geese in Richmond have clearly never met the Goosinator. At least that’s what backers of the geesescaring invention would say, including the owner of a golf course who enthusiastically testifies: “Either you have geese or you have the Goosinator.” A cross between a border collie and remote-controlled boat, the Goosinator is an orange model-airplane-like creation designed for hazing problem geese. The
operator controls the one-metre-long Goosinator to chase fowl over flat terrain— from grass and sand to water and snow—at speeds up to 40 km/h. Director of sales Dave Colton said the City of Denver already has two of the $3,000 units and eight more on order in an effort to control an invasion of Canadian geese. “They’ve found out that the Goosinator is the only thing that works. It’s humane, it’s non-lethal, it just scares the yogurt out of these geese,” he said by telephone from Wisconsin.“The Goosinator just sends them back into the wild.” Randy Claussen of Colorado created the Goosinator out of “space age foam” and designed it to go where dogs can’t. It’s painted orange—a colour researchers have found
TONY LING
frightens geese the most—and comes with a fang-filled mouth and villainous eyes. Richmond spends $20,000 per year managing urban wildlife, which includes the deployment of dogs, lasers and scare kites to chase snow geese from parks and playing fields. A further $60,000 is earmarked for snow goose management through 2015. Colton, who plans to pitch the Goosinator to Richmond officials, said cities have thrown “bad money after good” trying to find solutions to rid their fields of fowl. “The geese are not safe here in my area, because this thing can chase them way out into open water,” he said. Although geese do return, Colton said they eventually grow scared at just the sight of the machine.
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