With fish in the sea, danger of eagles on Sitka runway

If fish debris gathers near the runway, the feeding eagles pose a safety hazard. “A bird that size, especially an ingestion into an engine, could be catastrophic for human lives,” said Tresham. (Photo courtesy of Dave Tresham)
If fish debris gathers near the runway, the feeding eagles pose a safety hazard. “A bird that size, especially an ingestion into an engine, could be catastrophic for human lives,” said Tresham. (Photo courtesy of Dave Tresham)

As fishing season moves into full swing, so does the workload of the staff who haze birds off of Sitka’s runway.

Dave Tresham, a wildlife specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spends his entire day scaring birds from the Rocky Gutierrez Airport. He says the improper disposal of fish waste in the waters around Sitka’s harbors creates a safety hazard. The biggest problem — and the biggest scavenger — is the bald eagle.

“A bird that size, especially an ingestion into an engine, could be catastrophic for human lives,” Tresham says. “Sitka is well known for not having an alternate runway to go to. There’s really no way for an aircraft to turn if they had a severe eagle or gull ingestion. ”

It is against city regulations to dispose of fish in harbor system waters, or to clean fish at any place other a designated fish cleaning station. Tresham says that disposal practices have improved in the past five years, but reminds Sitkans to practice good etiquette on the water to ensure safe travels in the sky.

 

KCAW - Sitka

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