Number: 1981-17
WHEREAS, the mute swan (Cygnus olor) is not a native species of North America and was imported from Eurasia in 1910 as a New York pond ornament; and
WHEREAS, the species competes directly with native North American wildlife, particularly waterfowl, for food and nesting sites; and
WHEREAS, the mute swan continues to extend its range both inland and further south, with insufficient data to determine what impact this exotic will have on local ecosystems; and
WHEREAS, mute swan populations continue to expand, with an estimated 2,000 birds now populating the Atlantic flyway, with 800 on the Chesapeake Bay plus an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 in the Upper Mississippi Flyway; and
WHEREAS, the species is non-migratory and therefore a responsibility of the individual state wildlife agencies;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 26-29, 1981, in Norfolk, Virginia hereby endorses and supports the efforts of state wildlife agencies to control the continued expansion of local mute swan populations.