Court: NYC Airports Have Legal Right To Kill Migratory Birds
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A federal appeals court in Manhattan says the operator of New York City's airports has the legal right to kill migratory birds when necessary to protect planes.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Tuesday that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was within its rights to kill nearly any migratory bird in emergency situations, including snowy owls.
The appeals court recounted several "near-catastrophes" over the years at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport, including a 2009 Hudson River emergency landing after a bird strike.
"The ruling speaks more to the status of our nation's laws with respect to protecting animals than anything else," said Michael Harris, legal director for activist group Friends of Animals. The group previously sued the Port Authority after snowy owls were killed near John F. Kennedy airport in 2013, WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported.
The ruling upholds a 2014 decision by a Brooklyn judge. The Port Authority said it will now try to trap and relocate snowy owls in particular
Birds can shatter windshields, dent fuselages and shut down engines.
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