Periodically bird deaths
in oilsands tailings ponds will pop up in the news. Recently several dozens of
birds died at a site in Alberta, Canada. The companies operating these oil
facilities are required to have deterrent systems in place, ranging from
scarecrows (visual deterrents) to various auditory deterrents.
One new solution might
be to use some type of laser-based deterrent system. Laser system have shown some promise in bird control recently.
A combination of
deterrent methods must be utilized for any system to be effective. This includes
varying exposure and frequency of use, physical location changes and
periodically introducing new deterrent types while reducing (or temporarily
halting) use of others. Introduction of a laser system may possibly be an
effective addition to an oilsands tailings pond waterfowl deterrent program.
