5. Discussion
Eight regional airports and two small airports stated that they did not have a draft or approved AWMP in place. However, depending upon the level of risk at each airport, this may not be needed if a risk assessment has determined that low risk conditions exist (based on the criteria of Canadian Aviation Regulations Section Sec 302.302(1)). It is not known whether the ten airports had carried out the appropriate assessment.
One national airport respondent described the airport environment as ‘‘ An island within an urban landscape. The area provides habitat, food and water and is virtually predator free.’’ Mitigating the hazard caused by attractants most often involves manipulating the habitat and restricting access to the attractant, but can also mean changing land use patterns, activities and practices. Mitigating attractants and management of animals on airports is an ongoing activity. As one respondent replied ‘‘Wildlife management itself is an oxymoron. The exercise is one of due diligence and resource allocation. Expectations must also be managed, particularly those of the regulator and user. The risks can only be dealt with, not eliminated’’.
Airside or groundside attractants are under the jurisdiction of the airport, and more easily managed than attractants located outside airport boundaries. Onsite animal management can be rendered ineffective by off-airport attractants. For example, one airport
manager reported as their biggest issue a Ducks Unlimited pond managed for habitat within 8 km of the airport. The manager noted ‘‘At this point in time, I don’t mind them being there, if they don’t mind me doing very aggressive bird control on my side of the fence’’.
The Aeronautics Act, Section 5.4(2), provides the authority to enact airport zoning regulations that prohibit land uses adjacent to airports deemed hazardous to aircraft operations, including land uses that increase bird hazard. Transport Canada has identified bird hazard zones within radii of 8 km and 3.2 km of specified airport reference points and within these zones specific activities and practices that attract animals are designated as extremely or moderately hazardous and are not recommended.
The recommendations have not solved wildlife management issues. Waste management areas, for example, are classed as extremely hazardous and are not recommended within 8 km of the airport reference point, yet waste storage sites, waste transfer sites and landfills were all reported within such a radius. Sewage lagoons are classified as moderately hazardous and yet 52.6% of responding airports reported one within 8 km of their reference point. Airports reporting waste management sites, sewage lagoons and ponds on or nearby should be addressing their risk and attempting to influence
these land use practices, but only 17.1% of respondents have been active in land use discussions about nearby landfill practices.
Airports often make poor land use choices. Lands inside and outside of airports can be leased for agricultural production as a source of revenue for the airport authority. Respondents noted agricultural crops airside at 50% of airports, groundside at 39.5% and within 8 km of the airport reference point at 81.6%. Despite the possibility of extreme risk, depending upon the specific crop, less than a quarter of airports have attempted to influence adjacent agricultural crop management. Because agricultural crops can vary
in the hazards posed to aircraft operations, depending on the type of crop, agricultural practices implemented, and distance from the airport, the airport needs to address the specific risks posed by the agricultural crops present.
The most commonly used CMs reported were maintaining long grass, noise harassment, removing shrubs, brush and other diverse habitat, sharp shooting, and erecting non electric fencing. Some CMs continue to be used year after year, while others are a onetime effort entailing only annual checks or maintenance. Of the most commonly used CMs reported in the survey, maintaining long grass, noise harassment and sharp shooting require repetition. Removing diverse habitat and erecting non electric fencing are onetime efforts. However, as one respondent from a national airport noted ‘‘Wildlife control is an ongoing problem and conditions have to be continually monitored and your program has to be changed to adapt to these changes. There is not a single answer to wildlife control. Each site is different and each individual site changes from year to year’’.
Airport environments usually contain large grassed areas, and while functional and easy to maintain, Transport Canada (2004) states that ‘‘grass is likely the dominant bird-attracting feature at airports.’’ Our findings show a discrepancy between responses to two
Separate questions about grass maintenance. The first asked ‘‘ Has your airport maintained long grass?’’ Of 35 responses, over two-thirds of responses were yes. In contrast, in reply to the second question, ‘‘Does your airport carry out any specific grass mowing practices intended to discourage animal or bird use of grassed areas?’’ of 28 responses, only less than 20% responded that they left their grass long, primarily to discourage gulls and geese. Based on our responses, the CM with the combination of 19 users and a high success ranking was removing shrubs, brush and other diverse habitat. Maintaining long grass and noise harassment, although used by more respondents, 23 and 22 respectively, had lower success
rankings than removing diverse habitat. When airports were asked to state the method by which they assessed the outcomes of their CM, anecdotal methods such as reports from staff and past experience were used more often than referring to a strike reporting system.
Bird Strike Committee Canada adopted a bird strike definition which is contained within CARs 302.303(1) and (2). Strikes involving other animal types (in Canada, primarily mammals) are interpreted less formally, but follow the intent of the CARs 302.303(1) and (2) definitions (Transport Canada, 2004). CARs 302.303(1) requires that all airport operators keep records of all animal strikes and CARs 302.303(3) further requires airport operators to either report each strike within 30 days of occurrence, or report all strikes annually. Transport Canada does not possess the regulatory authority to compel strike reporting, but can assess
financial penalties if reporting is not carried out in accordance with CARs 302.303(3).
Although the majority of airports did keep strike records, eight small and one regional airport did not.We did not determine if this lack of animal strike record keeping at small airports is due to airport managers being unaware of the regulatory requirements and reporting procedures, or if it is the result of having no strikes to report and the subsequent perception that there is no need for a record keeping system.
All national airports were able to describe trends in strikes or near misses. Of the small and regional airports who stated that they did not know if animal strikes or near misses were increasing or not, two regional airports had previously responded to survey
questions indicating that they did keep records of strikes or near misses; therefore it is not known why they would be unable to answer this question. Without this basic knowledge of strike trends, airports are unable to assess if CARs 302.302(1) criteria apply to them; carry out risk assessments and analysis; or identify and manage hazard species appropriately.
When asked how the change in strike trends was determined, all the national airports relied on past records while small airports appear to be relying on their best estimates and experiences. The use of experience rather than record keeping is also demonstrated by the responses to the question on CM outcomes, when the results of animal control projects were determined, by all airport categories, largely by anecdotal methods based on experience, rather than supported by data from record keeping systems. This suggests
that there is a significant gap in accurate data that could lead to poorly informed practices as well as to a false sense of security on the part of many small and regional facilities.
Of further concern are the management consequences of incomplete or poorly maintained records. Records of strikes, animal activity monitoring and animal control activity logs should be maintained at CARS mandated airports. Responses to questions regarding CM outcomes and strike records and trends suggest that appropriate records may not always be maintained.