B-1029: Humane Control of Birds at Aquaculture Sites

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 This presentation will cover why fish farms, hatcheries and other related aquatic facilities attract birds, that prey on fish & serve as vectors for disease. Safe and humane methods are therefore necessary to control birds and minimize exposure to disease. "Behavioral deterrence" using decoys, drones, pyrotechnics, live predators and other safe harassment methods tailored to the facilities and location will be emphasized, using examples of a diversity of deterrence that are targeted at numerous sensory channels, and deploying high intensity deterrence both day and night, prior bird arrival of pest birds, to keep them from landing in the first place.

Learning Objectives - Participants will understand options for appropriate: 
1. The losses that result from birds preying upon aquaculture sites; 
2. How behavioral ecology and energetics can be used to control birds; and 
3. The diverse and humane methods available to minimize damage and loss from bird predation. 

About the speaker: Dr. Podolsky has 30 years of experience developing humane methods to keeping bird away from fish farms, orchards, skyscrapers, landfills, wind power facilities, and other places where they do damage or are themselves at risk. Dr. Podolsky's training is in behavioral ecology and his approach to deterrence is two-prong: first, it entails simulating pest birds most feared predators such as falcons, eagles, fox and coyotes; and second, is to keep pest birds from landing on farms by forcing them into flight which is the most energetically expensive behavior. To accomplish this, he uses, decoys, drones, pyrotechnics, live predators and other safe harassment methods tailored to the crop and the location.