New duck diet fits the bill

Feeding bread to Tokoroa’s ducks is now banned.

The South Waikato District Council is set to install several signs around Lake Moananui in the coming weeks alerting people to the ban.

Droves of ducks have died over recent summers from what is thought to be aviary botulism.

The disease is caused by the ingestion of toxic bacteria and leads to respiratory and musculoskeletal paralysis. It is spread through decomposing vegetation and invertebrates combined with warm temperatures.

Bread is one of the leading causes as it rots in the lake and promotes the bacteria’s growth.

Due to its low nutritional value, continuously feeding it to birds can also cause them to rely on it as a food source rather than their natural diet which leads to malnutrition and death.

Nature photographer Denise Capper has been visiting the lake daily for 13 years and has been lobbying to have signs installed for two years.

‘‘It is fantastic they are finally being installed,’’ she said.

‘‘For two years I have been asking the council to install signs but, despite hundreds of ducks dying, they kept putting it off because they were too busy working on something else.’’

Capper said she often sees people feeding bread to ducks which she put down to ignorance.

‘‘Often it is young kids and their mothers are not teaching them because they don’t realise the harm it is doing either,’’ she said.

She said there were many safe duck feeds around like Lucky Duck from Tokoroa and District Veterinary Services, maize from Farmlands, silverbeet, and rice.

South Waikato communications manager Kerry Fabrie said the council had budgeted $3000 to update the lake signage.

‘‘Following last season when so many ducks suffered, we decided that including specific ‘duck feeding’ messages would be helpful for our community,’’ she said.

Fabrie said budget restrictions meant signs were not installed earlier but due to the ban not being in a bylaw the council couldn’t impose penalties on those who continued to feed bread to ducks.

‘‘The messaging is educational. If you feed the ducks, please feed them on land. Seeds and grains are best for their diet,’’ she said.