Swiss plane manufacturer Pilatus often conducts test and training flights in Buochs.
Keystone
The central Swiss canton of Nidwalden has received approval to cull swans under strict conditions. Authorities claim that the growing population of birds poses a risk to local aircraft flights.
The federal government approval for the culling measure is valid for five years and applies to the entire canton even though the swan problem only affects the Buochs regional airport. Pilots sometimes have to interrupt a landing or take-off because of swans crossing the runway.
Local authorities had tried a series of measures like taking away the eggs prior to hatching or occasional shooting of birds. However, none of these was successful in limiting the population. An adult swan lays up to five eggs per year and can live up to 20 years.
The new authorisation to shoot the birds must comply with strict conditions. The number of animals should not fall below 15 in the area surrounding the airport. The culling must also be done before the breeding season commences.
Four years ago, Nidwalden resorted to occasionally shooting swans in Buochs. The measure was strongly condemned at the time by environmental groups.
More
More
Controversy around release of black swan in Swiss lake
This content was published on
The bird, baptised Nelson in homage to the late South African president Nelson Mandela, was released in Vevey on the shores of Lake Geneva on June 30 by Vaud cantonal government member Jacqueline de Quattro. Nelson was captured from the lake on May 27 and temporarily housed in the Servion zoo. A video showing the…
Report finds serious security flaws in Swiss hospital information systems
This content was published on
The IT systems of several Swiss hospitals suffer from serious security flaws, according to the National Testing Institute for Cybersecurity (NTC).
Cost of leisure activities rises dramatically in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Swiss paid more for leisure activities in December. Prices for vacation apartments, package tours and cable cars rose significantly.
New Swiss epidemic surveillance centre inaugurated
This content was published on
The Centre for Pathogen Bioinformatics was inaugurated in Bern on Thursday. It aims to improve epidemics monitoring in Switzerland using genomic data.
This content was published on
Switzerland, as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), signed a free trade agreement with Thailand during WEF.
This content was published on
The federal audit office has criticised the Swiss government for poor planning of the procurement of six drones from an Israeli supplier.
This content was published on
Wolves are a protected species in Switzerland but local authorities can authorize shootings if any animal kills more than 25 livestock. Hunters have been given a 60-day window to legally bring down the male wolf. This represents the first such hunting permit in canton Tessin and the only such occasion since 2001 in Graubünden. The…
This content was published on
It sounds like a prehistoric animal but the Archaopteryx is actually an electrified glider, especially adapted to land in a tight spot. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.