NatureScot gives up on geese

Scotland's nature quango, NatureScot – formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage – has informed Local Goose Management Groups on Uist, Tiree and Coll, Lewis and Harris, and Orkney, of its intention to step back from any financial support for adaptive management schemes for the species, instead offering a simple ‘advisory’ role going forwards. ­

For Orkney in particular, this official retreat from the problem comes as a blow. NatureScot had previously indicated that it would support LGMGs to put in place sustainable funding arrangements for adaptive management, and NFU Scotland this week pointed out that not yet been achieved.

While progress on managing resident Greylag numbers has been made on all islands, the union noted that there have been 'significant setbacks', with numbers increasing because of the Covid pandemic restrictions limiting sporting activity, contractor and volunteer shooting on the islands and the ability to meet bag targets.

Read more: Ministers to visit Orkney's geese

Orkney farmers' hopes are now pinned on bypassing NatureScot and getting a Scottish Government minister up to the islands to witness the scale of the problem first hand – and then, it is hoped, find funding for a much more determined campaign to curb the species' local population.

Farmer Al Watson of Rennibister near Kirkwall reckons that between him and his neighbour's farms, they are supporting at least 2000 geese. While they are quite at liberty to shoot or scare them as they see fit, the birds are well and truly hefted, and will return from losses and scares in a matter of hours.

Read more: Orkney's goose glut

"We've got them all year round, always eating, always making a mess. Sure we can shoot them, but with these numbers, you are shooting when you should be farming." Mr Watson said that hopes of a goosemeat economy which would self-fund control had failed to take off, and the only solution now was determined control by people paid to take on the job, and that would require government intervention.

NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy commented: “The grazing pressure exerted by the growing resident populations of Greylag geese on many Scottish islands continues to have a devastating impact on farming and crofting businesses.

“We are fully aware that the adaptive management schemes were always intended to be short term pilots to manage population density and mitigate against the agricultural damage caused by Greylags. Uist, Tiree and Coll, Lewis and Harris have been able to make some progress towards their reduction targets, but the Orkney pilot only managed to contain the expansion of resident Greylag birds.

“When we look at the objectives that were set in 2017, several have yet to be achieved including the development of longer-term funding arrangements for management and development of infrastructure and marketing to allow the sale of goose meat," said Mr Kennedy.

“It is our view that until these objectives are met, and the populations of resident Greylags on these islands are reduced to a level where self-help is realistically achievable, it is not appropriate for NatureScot to withdraw financial and practical support and expect the pilots to continue as self-financing."

Orkney's MSP, Liam McArthur, said: “It may be the case that NatureScot is not the most appropriate route through which ongoing support should be channelled. However, the need remains and no support should be withdrawn until alternative options have put in place by the Scottish Government. The Environment Minister, Mairi McAllan, has accepted my invitation to visit Orkney next month to see for herself the extent of the problem."