Release: Senate Passes Avella's Mute Swan Bill

On Earth Day, State Senator Tony Avella announced that the New York State Senate passed his bill aimed at protecting mute swans.

For the second year in a row, the Senate passed Senator Avella’s bill (S.1555) that would place a two year moratorium on the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) plan to completely eradicate New York State’s entire mute swan population. Since DEC announced the controversial plan in 2013, declaring the species “invasive,” it has been met with criticism from animal rights activists and various lawmakers. Senator Avella has led the fight by calling on DEC to rethink their eradication plan and instead implement a non-lethal method for controlling the mute swan population, which currently amounts to 2,200 birds throughout the state.

During the mandatory two year moratorium, the legislation would require DEC to publish scientific proof that the mute swan species is invasive and harmful to the surrounding environment. The bill passed both the Senate and the Assembly last year but was later vetoed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“The fact that this bill has now passed the Senate two years in a row is a clear sign demonstrating how New York feels about DEC’s cruel eradication plan for mute swans. It is inhumane to simply kill these birds without clear proof that they are dangerous to anything around them. We must find a better way to control the mute swan population. With the passage of this bill, we can work to find a method that not only prevents harming these birds, but allows them to live peacefully in New York among humans and other wildlife,” said Senator Avella.