Venice bans wedding rice in battle to beat pigeons

Published on Tuesday 18 September 2007 01:23

RICE throwing is to be banned at weddings in Venice in an attempt to tackle the problem pigeon population.

The birds are blamed for the sorry state of many buildings in the city, which attracts millions of visitors annually not just for a holiday but also as a wedding venue.

Traditionally, rice is thrown at weddings as a sign off fertility and good luck, but officials say the grains are being pounced on by the pigeons and creating problems.

Massimo Cacciari, the mayor, has revealed plans to ban rice throwing at all nuptials in the Italian city to halt the dramatic damage the pigeons cause to the buildings.

Droppings from the birds erode building fascia and last month a study revealed birds were pecking at the stonework to sharpen their beaks.

St Mark's Square is the resting place of many of the city's estimated 40,000 pigeons and there are several seed sellers in the picturesque square - dubbed the drawing room of Europe.

During the past ten years, Venice has spent more than 850,000 (591,000) on controlling the pigeon population, including lacing seed with contraceptives.