06 September, 2016
SNH: sale of wild greylag goose in Orkney will help local businesses and reduce waste
Wild goose meat goes on sale at licensed outlets in Orkney again, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) confirmed today (Tuesday 6 September).
The Orkney greylag goose adaptive management pilot allows local people to control the resident greylag goose population. Wild goose meat will be available for sale only from licensed sellers on Orkney until March 2017.
Licence controls, in the form of a restricted bag limit, ensure the sale of geese will not drive up the number of geese shot to unsustainable levels .
Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform said: “This is the final year of the Orkney greylag goose pilot project. The Scottish Government is committed to this work and we are also determined to support our rural communities - this project helps farmers and crofters and provides a boost to the local economy through the licensed sale of goose meat.”
Gail Churchill, SNH’s Orkney operations manager, confirmed: “This action will allow a sustainable harvest of geese and help boost local businesses as they prepare and sell fresh, seasonal, wild goose meat. We have responded to the concerns of local farmers and land managers and we are also committed to ensuring that shooting is controlled so geese are managed sustainably.
“Goose meat is a good healthy source of protein and we should all be encouraged to eat fresh, eat seasonal, and eat local.’’
Methods and recipes for making best use of sustainably harvested goose meat were demonstrated at this year’s Orkney County Show by Scotland’s Natural Larder, an initiative led by SNH which aims to reconnect people with local, seasonal and wild food resources.
It demonstrates the range of food available from nature and develops peoples’ skills in responsible sourcing, cooking and preservation of wild food.
Gail Churchill added: “Throughout the day, there was a great deal of interest in trying goose and a lot of favourable feedback, not just about the tasty food on offer, but also about the principle of making the most of this local produce. Now that the sale is permitted again, there is scope to buy prepared goose, for instance goose sausages, bringing an economic benefit to local businesses.”
The sale of resident greylag geese and the Goose Management Pilots are being trialled in Scotland under the auspices of SNH, advised by the National Goose Management Review Group (NGMRG).
And while SNH is responsible for issuing the licences, the council is the competent authority for local delivery of the food hygiene regulations.
In Orkney the project has been developed and managed in conjunction with the Local Goose Management Group (LGMG) which includes National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS); Scottish Government Rural Payments & Inspections Directorate (SGRPID); Scotland’s Rural College, and local farmers.
The National Goose Management Review Group (NGMRG) recommends each of the pilots is guided by the same three objectives of national goose policy which underpin existing goose schemes.
This will meet the UK’s nature conservation obligations for geese within the context of wider biodiversity objectives; minimise economic losses experienced by farmers and crofters as a result of the presence of geese, and maximise the value for money of public expenditure.
To see the terms and conditions attached to the general licence see SNH's web site http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/species-licensing/bird-licensing/general/
There are currently four greylag goose pilots in Scotland which enable local people to manage resident greylag goose populations; one in Orkney; one in the Uists; the scheme in Coll and Tiree, and another in Lewis and Harris.
Scotland’s Natural Larder is a partnership between Scottish Natural Heritage and BASC Scotland. The initiative aims to reconnect people with food from nature which has been sustainably harvested or hunted. www.scotlandsnaturallarder.org @scotsnatlarder or on Facebook ‘Scotland’s Natural Larder’.
Contact information
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