A mule deer on Santa Catalina Island dodged one or more bullets Wednesday.
At a special meeting of the Los Angeles County Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Catalina Island Conservancy, which controls 88 percent of the island, announced it would abandon plans to shoot non-native species with high-powered rifles from helicopters.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes the island, confirmed in a statement that the preserve had “removed the proposal for the aerial shooting.”
“I’m grateful to the Conservancy for listening to the serious concerns people have about this plan, especially those who live on the island,” Hahn said in a statement. “I’ve heard residents say they are overwhelmed by the thought of helicopters raining bullets. Others are horrified by the sight of deer falling over their beloved island, and some can’t stand the thought of leaving deer carcasses in their wake.”
Lauren Dennhardt, the conservancy’s senior conservation director, did not respond to a request for comment. The group has previously said it is willing to consider other options to find the best way to rid the island of non-native deer.
Hahn said in a statement that Danhart told the meeting that the conservancy was revising its plans to “prioritize other approaches” in light of concerns raised by Hahn and island residents.
According to the Nature Conservancy, black-tailed deer were introduced to the island in the 1930s as game animals.
Protesters from the Coalition Against Catalina Deer Slaughter hold signs as island visitors arrive on the Catalina Express on October 30, 2023.
(Alan J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Their numbers range from 500 to 1,800, according to the conservancy. The group claims the invasive deer destroy natural habitats, including vegetation found only on the island, and exacerbate the risk of soil erosion in overgrazed areas.
The deer are starving and dying of thirst as the sanctuary continues to plot how to hasten their demise.
Photos shown at Wednesday’s meeting included a dead fawn lying on a paved sidewalk. Another photo shows a stag rummaging through an Avalon resident’s trash can for food.
“Both the island and the deer are fighting for survival, and neither is winning,” Whitney Latorre, the conservancy’s chief executive, said in an interview in the fall. “Unless we address the deer problem, islands will become increasingly vulnerable to the devastating consequences of rising temperatures and drought.”
Hahn drafted a letter that supervisors unanimously approved on April 23, objecting to the proposed helicopter hunt for deer, calling it “inhumane and drastic.”
She said her letter was prompted by a “public outcry” after the aerial shooting proposal was made public last year.
The conservancy’s original plan was to hire sharpshooters from the Connecticut nonprofit White Buffalo Inc.
Some bodies will remain in place, while those near Avalon and roadsides will be removed.
Ultimately, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will decide whether to allow any deer removal plans submitted by conservation agencies. A Fish and Wildlife spokesman said the agency has not yet ruled on the helicopter proposal because it has been waiting for more documentation from the conservation area.
A mule deer licks its fawn on Catalina Island in 2023.
(Alan J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
It’s unclear what will happen next.
Hahn asked the environmental group to reconsider a previously rejected alternative proposal, the spokesperson said, although she did not endorse any specific course of action.
The conservancy considered fencing, recreational hunting, introducing predators, relocation, neutering and chemical contraception before deciding on aerial shooting, saying it was an effective way to quickly eliminate large numbers of animals.
Major disadvantages include the loud sound of gunfire, which can cause distress to wildlife and residents.
By comparison, fencing is considered costly and challenging given the island’s topography, while recreational hunting is often ineffective, the conservancy said. According to the Conservancy, 200 to 300 hunters come to the island each year.
Overall, Catalina Island covers approximately 48,000 acres, has approximately 4,200 residents and 1 million visitors.
Opposition to aerial hunting has been strong. Since Sept. 23, the advocacy group Save Catalina Island Deer Coalition has collected more than 18,000 signatures on a petition opposing the concept.
Bernd Blossi, a professor of natural resources and environment at Cornell University, said in an interview in April that aerial shooting is a standard form of extinction.
Blossi, who directs the university’s deer management program, noted that aerial shooting was used to eradicate ibex in the Galapagos Islands and New Zealand in the early 2000s.
Blossi agrees that calling for the animals to be relocated, as some conservationists hope, could do more harm than good.
“Capture and transport are both painful, and the success rate for both is low,” he said. “Then they get moved to areas they don’t know about, which is not a good thing.”
American Association. The Wildlife Veterinarians Association supported the aerial shooting in a letter Wednesday, while the American Bird Conservancy, the California Arboretum and several other groups supported the permanent removal of exotic deer.
