Goose Policy Delivery Plan 2025 – 2030

Goose Key Messages

A detailed communications plan has been prepared for goose management issues and the key messages are as follows:

• Wild geese are a conservation success story, with most populations increasing from very low numbers in the 1970s to large numbers over the past 20 years.
• Scotland is internationally important for the conservation of wintering geese, hosting around 60% of the global population of Greenland Barnacle Geese and around 25% of the threatened and declining Greenland White-fronted Geese.
• NatureScot and SGRPID are working with stakeholders to balance conservation of protected geese with reducing and preventing the significant financial impact of agricultural damage.
• Gathering winter geese are part of our natural heritage. It can be a breath-taking spectacle, and an important tourist draw. But while the sight of geese flying high in the sky is a sign that autumn is here, it is not a sight welcomed by all.
• Their success brings with it problems in the shape of impacts on agriculture as high densities of geese feed on productive farmland, causing significant agricultural damage. For example, barnacle geese cause an estimated annual £1.5m loss to farmers’ livelihoods on Islay.
• In Scotland, we are seeing a similar picture as North America, and across Europe, with numbers of some species of migratory and breeding geese increasing and moving into new locations. We are working with international partners to improve our understanding of goose trends.
• Limitations on funding means NatureScot and Scottish Government must prioritise support towards protection of vulnerable and threatened goose species such as barnacle geese and Greenland white-fronts.
• We understand the concerns of farmers, and in partnership with them, local goose management groups and other stakeholders, we will develop new approaches for highly protected geese, to follow on from existing wintering goose schemes.
• We are also working with farmers and crofters to enable them to manage quarry and non-native geese, to reduce agricultural impacts. This includes developing a co-ordinated approach to controlling geese, provision of licenses and facilitating the sale of goose meat.
• We have put a number of tools in place to help farmers affected by greylag geese to manage this population to help prevent serious agricultural damage. These include inclusion of greylag geese on the General License and provision for the licensed sale of goose meat.