It happens every year doesn't it. A black swan shoot followed by negative comments from readers. Animal cruelty on the harbour, black swans being slaughtered by organized shooters.
Are there too many black swans on Tauranga Harbour? In my opinion, yes. The last number that I heard was 4500 to 5000 constantly interchanging with the Huntly population. What would be a good number for Tauranga Harbour? In my opinion 1200 to 1500 birds.
My concern isn't landholders crops being grazed, it's the damage these birds do to the harbour ecosystem by destroying the zostera seagrass. Zostera is vital to the harbour ecosystem and the future of inshore fisheries.
Consider that the Tauranga Harbour has lost about 80% of the intertidal zostera meadows that it had in the 1950s. We have a failing ecosystem which impacts on all the harbours, invertebrates, vertebrates and ultimately us. Sedimentation is another major contributor of zostera depletion and this also needs to be assessed and dealt with. However, anyone who has spent time on and around Tauranga Harbour with binoculars in hand and has studied the habits of black swan will soon realize that they too are contributing to the demise of our zostera seagrass meadows.
Native, introduced or whatever, black swan numbers need to be brought down to a level where they are compatible with their habitat. While black swans are a beautiful and graceful bird, they are also very destructive and in my opinion, their present numbers are a negative to the harbour ecosystem. Effective control (by shooting, not egg picking) is paramount.

Dick Marquond, Tauranga.