How do we control them?
According to the state of Michigan, (which deals with Mute Swans that dominate the Great Lakes) the quickest and most humane way to deal with overpopulation is to kill adult birds and as a result, decrease adult survivorship. Another way people deal with the Mute Swan is destroy their nests and eggs. Many animal rights groups disagree with these methods of control because they feel that it is animal cruelty and consequently, Mute Swan numbers continue to rise.
Another option is simply to relocate the swans elsewhere, to spread them out. We cannot relocate them because simply moving the birds to a different location would not solve the problem at all. Moving the birds somewhere else is just moving the problem somewhere else. Wherever the population would be moved to, they would begin destroying that location's ecosystem.
Another option is simply to relocate the swans elsewhere, to spread them out. We cannot relocate them because simply moving the birds to a different location would not solve the problem at all. Moving the birds somewhere else is just moving the problem somewhere else. Wherever the population would be moved to, they would begin destroying that location's ecosystem.