Orkney goose management project enters final year

A project, set up to manage geese populations in Orkney, is set to enter its final year at the end of this summer.

The Orkney greylag goose adaptive management pilot allows local people to control the resident goose population, with licensed shootings having taken place in August and September over the last four years.

Scottish Natural Heritage has said this helps keep the population down to reduce impact on farming while maintaining the species’ conservation interest.

SNH developed the scheme with advice from National Goose Management Review Group (NGMRG) and input from local organisations such as the Local Goose Management Group (LGMG) which includes NFUS, SGRPID, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and local farmers.

According to SNH the number resident greylag geese in Orkney have increased over the past 20 years. The estimated population in 2001 was 1,500 birds which peaked at 22,911 in August 2014. The goose count in August 2015 showed a small reduction in the population with 21,354 birds recorded.

Gail Churchill, SNH’s Orkney operations manager, said: “We undertook this initiative in response to the concerns of local farmers and land managers. Over the last four years the project has managed to prevent the expansion of the population of resident greylag geese in Orkney which without the project shooting could be in the region of 50,000 birds.

“This is the final year of the pilot project and at the end of this season the Local Goose Management Group will be reviewing it and identifying ways in which the population of greylag geese can continue to be managed sustainably.”

There are currently four greylag goose pilots in Scotland which enable local people to manage resident greylag goose populations; one in Orkney; one in the Uists; the scheme in Coll and Tiree, and another in Lewis and Harris.