Council’s ‘disappointment’ over axing of geese controls

THE DISCONTINUATION of management schemes to control geese from damaging croft lands has been met with disappointment by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar because, it claims, there is no firm sustainable plans to tackle the problem for the future.

Councillor Donald Crichton, chairman of the Crofting Joint Consultative Committee, said the continuing increase in the population of geese was a real threat to the future of crofting and expressed disappointment at Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Rosanna Cunningham MSP’s response to an earlier letter that raised the concerns of the Crofting JCC.

Mr Crichton said: ‘The minister’s response is disappointing and gives no firm plans to tackle this problem in a consistent and sustainable way to build on the work of the pilot schemes that had a positive impact on controlling the goose population.

‘We need an increase in funding to help the goose management pilot areas transition to long term sustainable management arrangements.

‘It is unfortunate that the £10,000 challenge funding identified by Scottish Natural Hertitage cannot be increased. This will not go far to assist local groups from as far as Orkney to Tiree to set up self-financing schemes.’ He welcomed Ms Cunningham’s announcement that the EU commission had indicated that it intends to authorise the licensed sale of wild goose carcasses until March 2019, but added the deadline would not allow for businesses to plan and invest to develop marketing and sales.