High-powered rifle could be used to cull airport birds

Objectors say there is insufficient back-stop on the airport perimeter and that the safety of those near it will be compromised.

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen has written to the four douzaines who have an interest in Guernsey Airport, along with stakeholders including The Forest Primary School, Education, and Specsavers, letting them know of her concerns.

'I am hugely concerned by the risk that this very dangerous gun poses to humans and cannot understand why this route of control has been chosen when there are other more effective options which are of negligible risk to people,' she said.

'Clearly bird strike is a material risk for the airport, especially to the Aurigny jet, and it also costs approximately £50,000 per year to manage. There are other solutions to this problem but they are not being explored.'

Ports General manager Colin Le Ray said UK specialist Birdstrike Management Ltd had advised Guernsey Airport to look at using using a high powered rifle as a supplementary tool in certain cases. It was anticipated that it would only be used two or three times per year. The weapon would be just a small tool in the management of birds at the airport

and at the moment it was an evaluation process. A licence had been granted for staff to use the rifle at the L'Ancresse shooting range so they could demonstrate competency to the licensing authority should an application be made to use the rifle at the airport.

'Ultimately it will come down to whether police will licence it and that is by no means a certainty,' said Mr Le Ray.

A police spokesman said no application to use a .17 HMR rifle at Guernsey Airport had been made.

A shooter with 60 years experience, including off island, said given the right conditions, he was confident he could hit a 2ins diameter disc with the rifle from 200m.

'But I would never fire one at Guernsey Airport as there is not the backdrop,' he said. 'With a 10mph wind the bullet can deviate by 14 to 15ins at 200m and it can carry for 500m.'

Will Roger, 68, has held a gun licence since he was 16.

'You don't learn to use a gun like that in a fortnight,' he said. 'And anyone who is properly trained in its use would never pull the trigger at Guernsey Airport.'

Dean of St Peter's Douzaine, Martin Ozanne, said assurances had been sought from Guernsey Airport that the use of a such a weapon would be safe there and they had asked to see risk assessments.

'Aircraft safety at Guernsey Airport is paramount but so is that of people on the airport perimeter,' he said.

St Andrew's Constable Martin Thwaite said the douzaine unanimously opposed the idea and had written to Police to tell them so.

'We have at least one member of the douzaine with experience of guns and we don't feel that it's easy to train people to use a rifle like that,' he said. 'We think they need to be looking at other solutions.'

Dean of the Forest Douzaine, Richard Heaume said the douzaine shared Deputy Dudley-Owen's concerns and they would be writing to the relevant authorities to let them know that.

'Once you have fired that type of gun there is no saying where the bullet will stop,' he said. 'There are some very open areas at the airport and it would be going into the unknown.'

Dean of St Saviour's Douzaine, Vic de Garis, said they too had discussed the matter.

'If there is no other means of dealing with the birds, and the people are properly trained, then we don't see a problem with it,' he said.