SNH invite Lewis & Harris residents to goose management meeting

The local group is currently funded by the Scottish Government and aims to reduce agricultural damage seen by crofters and farmers, while maintaining a sustainable goose population. Using volunteer hunters within the community, the target is to reduce the current population by about half by 2017 and ensure that these numbers can be maintained in the future.

The meeting will update progress to date, seek views on our current strategy, explore different options or suggested changes, and plan for goose management after funding has finished.

The Lewis & Harris Greylag Goose Management Group meeting takes place Thursday, 17 December at 7:30pm at Coastguard Station, Stornoway. For more information, or to help deliver the cull in as safe and as effective a manner possible, please either come along on the 17^th or call Roddy MacMinn (SNH) on 01851 705258.

The three-year pilot project was launched in February of this year. Shooting took place in February, March and in the Autumn. This pilot scheme is being trialled with the support of SNH and is guided by the National Goose Management Review Group (NGMRG).

In Lewis and Harris, the project has been developed and managed in conjunction with the Local Goose Management Group which includes representatives from SGRPID, CnES, the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and crofters, farmers, and landowners.

ENDS