Looking at the numbers for geese in Isles

The report summarises the work that has been undertaken this last year in the effort to reduce agricultural damage caused by greylag geese, while maintaining a sustainable goose population.

In 2015/16 1,679 individual birds were shot by volunteers. The report shows that the group are on target to reduce the population, which was over 5000 at the start of the project, to between 2,500 to 3,200 individual birds by April 2017.

The plan is to license volunteer hunters to do more shooting in August before reviewing the position and planning for winter 2016/17 and beyond.

The group intend to have a local meeting in October/November. This meeting will be critical in determining the future for greylag management on Lewis and Harris after funding ceases in April 2017.

Thanks is offered to all the volunteer team leaders and hunters who have put so much effort into reducing the local greylag population.