Concerns raised over goose management
COUNCILLOR Donald Crichton, chairman of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s sustainable development committee, has written to Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the environment, climate change and land reform, to express concern about goose management in the Outer Hebrides.
The issue was discussed at a recent comhairle’s crofting joint consultative committee meeting, which is comprised of representative organisations including the comhairle, Community Land Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation.
In the letter, Mr Crichton states: ‘The committee was hugely concerned by the apparent retreat by the Scottish Government from funding goose management schemes such as the Adaptive Management of Greylag Geese.
‘As you will be aware geese are causing severe damage to grass and crops across the Outer Hebrides, particularly in sensitive habitats such as the Uist machair. This, in turn, is having a detrimental impact on crofters’ livelihoods.
‘Our experience in the Outer Hebrides demonstrates that goose management schemes, when properly funded and managed, can effectively control populations of geese thereby reducing the incidence and severity of agricultural damage experienced by crofters.
‘With the Adaptive Management Pilot having come to an end, we have been advised that a £10,000 Challenge Fund – to be shared between four areas, Coll and Tiree, the Uists, Lewis and Harris and Orkney – is the only central avenue open to enable us to further control/ reduce the numbers of greylag geese in the area. This funding is insufficient and will not cover the costs of running a scheme in one area, let alone the required shooting and scaring efforts required across our respective crofting communities.
‘The committee was also disappointed to note that licences to sell goose meat are no longer being granted. Even if funding were in place, a restriction on selling goose meat renders it impossible for any management scheme to become sustainable in the long term. Without a licensing scheme and adequate funding, it is inevitable that the goose population will rise to the further detriment of croft land, our communities and our already fragile local economy.’