The San Luis Obispo City Council passed an ordinance forbidding the feeding of wildlife in the county at its last council meeting, when they also approved the smoking and unruly gathering ordinances. By late May, families will no longer be able to feed the ducks at Laguna Lake or share their left-over bread crumbs with the swans.
The ordinance is part of the new storm water management regulations meant to comply with state water standards. According to officials, duck poo in the water is a significant source of pollution, and they have included this in their plan to improve water quality.
Now, I am all for improving the water quality in San Luis Obispo, but by targeting ducks are we really solving the problem?
The council has already attempted to outlaw partying, smoking and now our feathered friends have become victims. I could understand if they passed the the ordinance to protect animals from getting sick, but instead they are targeting the natural act of an animal defecating, and I am not sure if that is a fight the city council can win. We have more of a chance to potty-train the animals than try to control where and when they go.
Officials also plan to launch an educational campaign to tell the public how feeding wildlife can harm the animal and the environment, but can this really stop an age-old tradition?
I am anxious to see how this ordinance will be enforced, because I think we can all agree seeing police patrol a pond would be ridiculous.
More pollutants get into our water from household products like shampoo or cleaning products than from animal feces, yet no legal action has been taken to ban those products.
There are so many strategies the city council could have taken into consideration to improve the water quality, but do you think fining those who feed wild animals will really solve the problem?