In the Shadow of Equus: Horses and Blueberries - An Explosive Problem!
By Margaret Evans
It’s not often that two agricultural industries are at loggerheads, but it seems the horse industry and the blueberry industry in British Columbia are on a collision course with each ear-splitting shotgun blast of propane cannons used to scare starlings from crops. The trouble is, those cannons can have the same fear factor effect on horses, and a horse that becomes spooked by the noise and bolts could put a rider at risk of injury.
John Reidl, who owns Sweetline Quarter Horses in south Langley with his wife Ruth Sweet, is particularly troubled by the noise devices. He has lived in the area for 35 years and is now surrounded by blueberry farms.
“In about a five kilometre radius there are four new blueberry farms planted and a number of horse facilities where they are raising and training horses,” said Reidl. “What happens if one of our riders gets hurt?”
The use of propane cannons is one of the more effective methods of ridding blueberry fields of the real problem - starlings. These birds are voracious berry feeders and they can easily consume 10 percent of a farmer’s crop or, in bad years, upwards of 20 to 30 percent.
Starlings are an invasive species, imported to the U.S. from England in 1890 to grace New York’s Central Park. They adapted, exploded in population, and spread across North America. Today they number around two billion and can be seen flying in huge flocks of hundreds, or even thousands of birds, feeding on insects or berries, especially blueberries since they love the fruit’s high fructose content.
“It has been a particularly bad year for starlings,” said Mark Sweeney, berry specialist with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food. “There have been exceptional populations. Certain areas have had severe crop losses. I’ve seen flocks of 2000 to 3000 starlings going back and forth in the blueberry fields.”
British Columbia produces 98 percent of the highbush blueberries in Canada. Some 8100 hectares are cultivated by over 700 farmers, and they produce upwards of 40 million kilograms of blueberries annually. The B.C. industry employs more than 10,000 people to work the fields and harvest the fruit and contributes over $35 million in blueberries annually. With more than $1 billion in sales in the past five years, Canada is the third largest producer of blueberries globally, and blueberries are Canada’s number one fruit export.
To protect the valuable fruit, farmers can employ an integrated pest management (IPM) system which includes anything from noise devices, to netting, scarecrows, flash tape, dogs, streamers, balloons, traps, hawk-shaped kites, and playing starling distress calls over loudspeakers. In addition, natural predators, such as birds of prey, can be encouraged to nest on the farms.
The American kestrel, a pint-sized territorial falcon with tremendous agility and speed, can kill a starling in midair. Past studies have shown that if kestrels are in the area starling populations decline. The kestrel is the only raptor that will nest in man-made boxes, making it an ideal species to encourage on farms. They have already proven their value in cherry orchards in eastern Washington State where farmers have installed nest boxes.
Research on the behaviour of kestrels and their effectiveness at driving starlings from blueberry fields has been conducted for several years by biologists at Langley based Trinity Western University. The results so far have been very encouraging.
The importance of the blueberry industry compares measurably to the value of the horse industry.
The 2009 Equine Industry Study conducted by Horse Council British Columbia found that horses generate an estimated $740 million in economic activity in the province and the industry generates some 7200 full time jobs. There are around 100,000 horses in B.C. and almost 14,000 farms. The Lower Mainland is home to almost 24,600 horses, almost 25 percent of the total number of horses in B.C., and the next highest concentration of horse is the Okanagan with 14,600 horses.
Investment in the industry by horse owners is impressive, and, despite the recent economic downturn, more than 90 percent of horse owners will be maintaining or increasing their involvement in the industry in the next five years, continuing a decade long trend which has seen investments in buildings and facilities increase by 120 percent since 1998.
Clearly the two industries are significant powerhouses in the economic dynamics of the province. However, Reidl wants to see the Ministry of Agriculture change the legislation to prevent propane cannons from being placed close to horse farms. The long standing issue is of genuine concern to the blueberry grower community.
“We have done a lot of intervention,” said Debbie Etsell, executive director of the B.C. Blueberry Council. “We recommend farmers do what is put out by the Ministry of Agriculture and use all the tools in the (IPM) tool kit.”
The Council has a grower liaison who responds to residents’ complaints but, according to Reidl, when it comes to horses and rider safety the issue is especially important given the potential for a serious accident.
The Ministry of Agriculture ruling for the use of cannons is that propane cannons on blueberry farms must be placed no closer than 200 metres from a home, can operate between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. with a quiet period from noon to 3 p.m. and can be fired once every five minutes. The guidelines recommend no more than one propane noise device for every five acres (two hectares) of blueberries but since many blueberry farms are quite large, they often employ more than one cannon.
Their loudness, at 125 to 130 decibels (human pain threshold is around 120 decibels), makes them effective at driving away starlings, and, according to the farmers, they are the most cost-effective method of bird control.
But the incessant loud noise can drive neighbours to distraction, especially those who work shift hours and need to sleep during the day, seniors in care homes, and young children who are agitated by the noise. It has forced people to move, and, some claim, has driven down property values. Then there are the horses.
As a flight animal, sudden loud cracks or bangs can spook a horse, causing it to scramble, shy, or bolt. If a horse is being ridden on the road, that can compound a traffic hazard, putting the horse and its rider at risk.
To support his case, Reidl is asking riders to record hazardous incidents triggered by the propane cannons.
“Please make a note of every incidence or near miss when your horse is spooked by a cannon,” urged Reidl. “Write down when, where, and what happened.”
With the blueberry season winding down, interested parties from both industries need to work to understand one another. There is time over the winter to explore options before the growing season begins next spring.
A group of residents in Langley has been working for years to ban the cannons. More information on their efforts can be seen on their website at www.banthecannons.com.
For more information on the efforts of Reidl and his family, you can contact him at 604-534-4922 or visit their website at www.sweetlineqh.com.