Contact newsdesk on:  info@hebridesnews.co.uk

Classified adverts   I   Jobs                               

 Local Services     

 

Hebrides News

 

A cull to shoot hundreds of marauding wild geese is to get underway on Lewis and Harris.

A plague of greylag geese is destroying grass crops.

Geese numbers have exploded, resulting in migrating flocks now taking up permanent residence across the islands.

Previously, the significant damage to crofts and cultivated land received some respite when the wintering birds flew north in summer.

But many thousands of greylags are to be found in the islands, causing causing extensive damage to crofts and grazing grounds.

A pilot cull scheme, now in its third year, has been developed by a local goose management group with support from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Government.

The aim is to minimise the agricultural damage being experienced by crofters and farmers, by establishing a more sustainable goose population.

A review will take place after the month-long shooting period.

Goose cull to get underway

25 July 2016

A SNH spokesman said: “Work will be undertaken by a team of experienced volunteer shooters, operating under licence and following established best practice methods.

“Our initial target is for an additional 700 geese to be shot this autumn, as we aim to deliver a significant population reduction by April 2017.”