Control of wild geese numbers urgently required, say MSPs 10/8/14
Management of Scotland’s goose population is a national problem which needs to be urgently addressed, according to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee.
In a letter to the Scottish Government, MSPs call for the current approach and methods for controlling geese to be reviewed.
This is to ensure that goose populations and their impact on agriculture and the environment are effectively managed.
The committee wants the Scottish Government to reconsider its approach to the funding of goose management programmes.
It recommends allocating more resources to crop protection and adaptive management plans.
Committee convener Rob Gibson said: “It has become clear from our evidence that the current level of wild geese in Scotland is causing significant difficulties for crofters and farmers in certain areas. The current approach isn’t working and funding for the management of geese numbers needs to be reviewed as a matter of urgency.
“The committee is aware that the problems faced by crofters and farmers differ from area to area and while the issue of damage caused by goose populations is a national problem there is no one size fits all solution and local solutions using people with local knowledge is required.”
The Committee was considering this issue after a petition on the control of geese numbers from the Scottish Crofting Federation.