25 May, 2020
Orkney goose management plans during Covid-19 restrictions
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Orkney Greylag Goose Management group today announced they are working together to ensure greylag goose management on Orkney continues once COVID-19 restrictions are eased.
Unfortunately, the Coronavirus outbreak prevented some of the agreed spring goose control measures from being carried out – including egg oiling work and trial corralling of geese. It is hoped to carry out these measures next year.
If changes to the current COVID-19 restrictions allow over this summer, rifles to control geese will be trialled in July, as well as a survey of moulting sites to inform the goose corralling trial.
Graham Neville, SNH Area Manager for Northern Isles and North Highland said:
“We know this delay is frustrating, and are very aware of the continued damage that farmers are experiencing from greylag geese in Orkney. We remain committed to supporting the work of the management group to co-ordinate a range of goose management measures as soon as feasibly possible.”
Alan Corrigall, Orkney NFU Scotland Chairman said:
“We are disappointed that the momentum which had been gathering to find new ways to control the resident geese population has come to a halt. However, hopefully marksmen shooting later this summer can still go ahead as planned, and the other agreed control measures can be trialled next year.”
Land managers can still control greylag geese under the General Licence to prevent agricultural damage, provided they can comply with the Government’s COVID-19 restriction rules. The General Licence was amended this year so individual licences to carry out shooting or egg oiling during closed season are no longer required.
Greylag goose meat sales have also been consented under a General Licence for Orkney. As a result, land managers on Orkney can now, under food hygiene legislation, sell the greylag goose carcasses they generate, if they are satisfied they comply with the COVID-19 suppression rules. Land managers must ensure work carried out follows the General Licence rules.
Copies of both licences can be obtained from our website (www.nature.scot) or from our licensing team at 01463 725 364 or licensing@nature.scot.
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Notes to editors
Since 2012, the Orkney Greylag Goose Management Group have been carrying out management to sustainably control the resident Orkney greylag geese population, with the aim of reducing geese impacts on farming.
In a trial approach to goose management, experienced local volunteers controlled greylag goose numbers in August and September before migratory birds from Iceland arrived in October. The volunteers are experienced local shooters, licensed by SNH to carry out goose control following established best practice methods and were available, on request, to help control greylag geese numbers.
SNH licenses the sale of greylag goose meat generated on Orkney. Under normal circumstances the sale of wild goose meat is prohibited under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but we are able to license the sale of goose meat up to 31 December 2020.
A number of land managers have also carried out egg oiling on their land. Egg oiling is a method of treating eggs with mineral oil to prevent chicks hatching, and has commonly been used as a means of population control in birds for many years. Egg oiling is regarded as the most efficient and humane method of egg control.
While this management has not reduced the population, it has kept the population under control. Without this effort to control numbers of resident greylag geese over the last eight years, it is estimated that the population would now be more than double the current population of 23,000 birds, in the region of 50,000 birds.
Corralling is a method of controlling geese populations when they moult their flight feathers after breeding and are unable to fly. During this period birds spend their time on lochs or sheltered bays.
The Orkney Greylag Goose Management Group includes local farmers, NFU Scotland, Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), RSPB, Orkney Islands Council and Scottish Water.
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