KINGSTON - Town officials hope a new regulation will take care of a fowl problem.

Selectmen adopted a ban on feeding aquatic birds after a few Half Moon Pond residents repeatedly complained that the small pond was overrun with ducks contaminating the water and their land.

"There is a neighbor out there intentionally feeding ducks and the amount of ducks out there made it so the neighbors could not use their properties without fighting with the ducks," Health Officer Larry Middlemass said.

Middlemass drafted the ordinance after repeated requests to stop feeding the birds were ignored.

Charlie Tyrrell, who lives next to the pond, said the problem was so bad two years ago there were 120 ducks swimming on the 15-acre pond.

"To have 120 ducks in the winter, that's abnormal," Tyrrell said. "This little body of water kept maybe two to eight ducks in the summer, but through feeding they just keep coming and coming."

The regulation, which was approved by the selectmen on Monday and will be enforced by the health officer, makes feeding waterfowl a $275 offense.

The only similar ordinance locally is in Salem, where feeding any animal or bird is prohibited in local parks.

The Kingston regulation, however, is not limited to town property. People who feed aquatic birds - such as sea gulls, ducks, geese and swans - may be fined, although Middlemass said they would likely be warned first.

"We're really concerned for the health of the body of water," Tyrrell said.

The state Department of Environmental Services warns that feeding ducks and other aquatic birds can harm lakes. The birds' waste can increase sediment and phosphorus levels, which in turn raise the possibility of bacteria blooms, according to the department's Web site.

Aquatic birds also can spread "swimmer's itch," a skin rash caused by contact with a parasite found in bird feces.

In addition to polluting the pond, there were so many ducks that people had to wash fecal matter off their boats and patio furniture almost every day, Middlemass said.

"It was just getting out of hand," he said.

Dave Bartlett, who also lives on the pond, said any neighbor with a beach or dock has been affected by the ducks.

"This is not a matter of kids throwing bread," he said.

Middlemass said he tried to educate the person feeding the ducks and had representatives from the Department of Environmental Services and the state Fish and Game Department warn the individual about the potential harm the birds were causing. A farmer in town has been attracting sea gulls by putting bread out for his cattle. He would not name either person.

"Unfortunately, the education was not working. I wish I didn't even have to do it, but I am hopeful we will have these offending parties correct the situation," Middlemass said.

Kay Brown, who lives near Tyrrell and the person who feeds the fowl, said the problem has already been taken care of and there is no need for a regulation.

Feeding ducks was an issue a year or two ago when there was so much waste that she had to mop her dock before using it.

"We had a chat because I don't like my beach dirty and I don't like my dogs dirty," Brown said.

The neighbor agreed to feed the ducks once a day early in the morning and that seems to have improved the situation, she said.

"There are a lot of mini fish in this pond, so (the birds) are going to be there anyway, even if you don't feed them," Brown said. "To me, it's been resolved."

But Tyrrell, who did a lot of research for the proposal and presented it to the selectmen, said attracting so many ducks is "the worst thing you can do to a body of water."

He called the neighbor "very, very inconsiderate" and said he does not think the ordinance will make a difference.

"I have no reason to believe she will not try to continue feeding the ducks. I have gone this far and I will make sure the town fines her according to this new regulation."