On Thursday evening, Nov. 2, the Avalon City Council unanimously approved the introduction of an ordinance to amend the Municipal Code to ban feeding, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife within city limits. Deer would be specifically protected.
Before the vote, the language of the ordinance was changed to prohibit poisoning. The ban on feeding animals will not include the feeding of feral cats or forbid the capturing of vermin.
The meeting was held after the Islander’s print deadlines.
In related news, on Monday, Oct. 20, visitors and journalists from the mainland were greeted by a demonstration against the Catalina Island’s Conservancy’s proposal to eradicate the island’s deer population when boats arrived from the mainland. As of 3:13 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1, an online petition opposing the deer eradication had gathered 12,081 signatures against the proposal.
The special meeting was scheduled for 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2. The special meeting and the proposed ordinance are apparently in response to the Catalina Island Conservancy’s proposal to eradicate the Island’s entire deer population.
Details of the meeting were not available because it took place after the Islander’s editorial deadline.
If the ordinance is approved on introduction (also known as a first reading), it would have to return to the council for approval.
“During the October 17, 2023 regular City Council Meeting, the City Council heard a public presentation from the Catalina Island Conservancy regarding the planned Catalina Island Restoration Project,” according to the staff report prepared by City Manager David Maistros.
“During the same meeting, Council heard approximately two hours of public comments from 28 different speakers regarding the proposed Restoration Project and, specifically, the planned eradication of the island’s deer population. Of the 28 speakers, 22 speakers spoke in opposition of the Restoration Project, with six speakers in support of the initiative,” Maistros wrote.
“In addition to the information presented orally during the October 17, 2023 City Council Meeting, the City Clerk’s Office received approximately 64 written communications regarding the Conservancy’s proposed Restoration Project — 10 in support, 52 in opposition, and 2 neutral comments regarding the initiative,” Maistros wrote.
Council members asked city staff and the city attorney to amend the municipal code to strengthen protections for wildlife, especially deer, according to Maistros’ report.
“In revising this ordinance, the City Council makes the determination that hunting, pursuing, feeding, killing, or trapping animals within the City represents a threat to public health, safety, and welfare to the residents and visitors within the City of Avalon,” Maistros wrote.
“Additionally, City Council makes the determination that the feeding, luring, pursuing, or trapping of wild animals for the purposes of capturing and/or killing such wild animals can be cruel and abusive to such animals and inconsistent with the residential, recreational, and visitor-friendly nature of the City,” Maistros wrote.
“Feeding wildlife can lead to overpopulation, the spread of diseases, and altered natural behaviors,” Maistros wrote.
(The California Department of Fish and Wildlife website reports that the agency discourages feeding wildlife and that section 251.3 of the Code of Regulations forbids feeding big game animals.)
“Additionally, hunting and trapping within City boundaries poses significant safety risks to residents and visitors, and raises a plethora of ethical and environmental concerns,” Maistros wrote.
“Hunting and trapping within city limits could cause death, accidents, or harm to residents and visitors alike, and ensures human safety. Trapped animals could harm residents and visitors, as frightened animals can become aggressive in their attempts to escape,” Maistros wrote.
“Frightened animals can also move quickly and without warning, causing car or bike accidents, at times fatal,” Maistros wrote.
“The ordinance also provides exemptions for emergency action taken by trained authorized personnel to euthanize an animal found severely injured within the City as well as exemptions for trapping feral cats and dogs for the purpose of spayed or neutering. There is also an exception for bird feeders located on private property,” Maistros wrote.
The ordinance would apply only within the city limits of Avalon.
