Golden Gate Bird Alliance is deeply concerned about the shooting of at least 60 birds near the Oakland Airport on December 23, 2009.  Current reports state that several thousand birds were directly in line with one of the airport’s runways, likely because of a high concentration of fish, and that the birds were unresponsive to the non-lethal “hazing” techniques that normally disperse 90-95% of the birds.  While we understand that human safety is paramount and that some birds do pose risks to aircraft, we are discussing the matter with airport officials, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the Port of Oakland, and the California Dept. of Fish & Game to determine whether all available non-lethal means were attempted before the birds were killed.  We also hope to work with these agencies to reduce the likelihood that similar lethal measures will be necessary in the future.