Management Project Bill Dundas (SGRPID) & Rae McKenzie (SNH) - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Islay Sustainable Goose Management Project

Bill Dundas (SGRPID) & Rae McKenzie (SNH)

Background

Historical goose numbers

Barnacle goose numbers – Islay - 1952-2013

Background

Historical goose numbers

Greenland white-fronted goose numbers – Islay - 1970 - 2013

Islay goose management

• 1984 - RSPB reserve at Gruinart set up as a refuge
• 1988 - NCC set up management agreements with

individual SPA farmers. Scaring scheme in other parts of the island.

• 1992 - Whole island goose scheme set up

(feeding scheme)

• 2000 - Current scheme model set up

(management scheme)

• Reviews of scheme in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012

National goose policy objectives

The established objectives for goose management schemes in Scotland are:

• Meet the UK's nature conservation obligations for

geese, within the context of wider biodiversity

• bjectives
• Minimise economic losses experienced by

farmers and crofters as a result of the presence of geese

• Maximise the value for money of public

expenditure

Current Islay scheme

• Developed from the model set up in 2000
• All agricultural holdings on Islay are eligible to

enter

• Farmers must allow geese to feed on at least

60% of their grass area

• Farmers are paid compensation based on their

losses due to goose damage.

• Current payments do not cover 100% of the

cost of goose damage.

Current Islay scheme

• Scaring can take place on up to 40% of the grass area,

including 1st and 2nd year reseeds

• Scaring can be non-lethal using human scaring, dogs,

quad bikes and scaring devices

• Lethal scaring of barnacle geese can take place under

licence on certain fields.

• This year’s bag limit is 1800 barnacle geese
• No shooting should take place if there are white-fronts

within the flock

• Farmers can apply to scare geese from their whole

farm for 1 month at either the beginning or end of the season

Scaring methods

Squawker Self launching kite Peace pyramid Gas gun Scary man

Scaring methods

Canes & streamers

Development of Islay project

Why is the Islay Sustainable Goose Management Project needed?

• White-front numbers have fallen
• Barnacle goose numbers have not stabilised
• Farming costs have increased
• Compensation payments are significantly less than costs of

supporting geese

• A wish by Islay farmers to reduce impacts from geese to a

level where they could maximise their income from farming

• Goose damage remains serious

Goose damage

Article 9 EC Birds Directive

Member States may derogate from the provisions of Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8, where there is no other satisfactory solution, for the following reasons: (a)

• in the interests of public health and safety,
• in the interests of air safety,
• to prevent serious damage to crops, livestock, forests, fisheries and water,
• for the protection of flora and fauna;

(b)

• for the purposes of research and teaching, of re-population, of reintroduction and

for the breeding necessary for these purposes; (c)

• to permit, under strictly supervised conditions and on a selective basis, the

capture, keeping or other judicious use of certain birds in small numbers.

Satisfactory solutions

• Scaring – non-lethal?

– Geese have become habituated to non-lethal methods

• Scaring – lethal?

– Temporary effects but the scaring programme has not reduced the damage by the levels needed

• Compensation?

– Money in itself does not prevent damage

Islay long term plan

The established objectives for goose management schemes in Scotland are:

• Minimise economic losses experienced by farmers and

crofters as a result of the presence of geese

• Meet the UK's nature conservation obligations for geese,

within the context of wider biodiversity objectives

• Maximise the value for money of public expenditure

The plan will seek to address these objectives on Islay and will also consider how meeting these objectives will impact on

• ther interests on Islay such as tourism, and sporting

interests.

Islay long term plan

• 10 year plan
• Measure damage – set targets using those

measurements.

• Management to maintain/increase white-front

numbers

• Management to reduce damage by barnacle geese

by reducing population

• Management to minimise damage by other goose

species

• Adaptive management approach

Adaptive management

• Is process by which ecological uncertainty is

reduced via diagnostic management experiments.

• It is not a management action
• It works by setting out actions which we predict

will have certain outcomes

• Actions will be monitored and adjusted if

necessary.

• The Islay plan will be reviewed every 2 years to

ensure that actions are working towards predicted outcomes.

Greenland white-fronted geese

• Aim to increase population
• Minimise impacts of disturbance
• Habitat management to improve condition of

traditional feeding areas

• Diversionary feeding

Barnacle geese

• Reduce damage caused by barnacle geese
• On- going scaring activities & trials of new methods
• Use sward height and rotational frequency to

measure damage

• Set targets based on damage reduction
• Aim to reduce damage to agreed levels by certain

points of the plan by reducing the population

Trials of different scaring methods

Sonic or humming string Crop protection netting

Other goose species

• Aim to ensure that impacts of greylag or Canada

geese do not increase over the plan period

• Prevent further increases in greylag geese
• Ensure greylag geese do not impact on management

for other species

• Prevent Canada geese from establishing breeding

sites

Next steps

• Develop final Islay plan
• Liaise with other countries across range
• Collect baseline data
• Develop scheme from plan
• Identify funding