Management Schemes
Local Goose Management Scheme
Aim:
There are now seven local Goose Management Schemes in Scotland. They aim to help integrate productive farming with the conservation of wild geese and their grazing on farm and crofting land. Most of the Schemes provide payments towards the maintenance of disturbance free feeding areas where geese are resident whilst encouraging the scaring of geese from other parts of the farm.
Natural Heritage Interest Targeted:
Populations of wintering Greenland white-fronted geese and wintering barnacle geese.
Eligible Areas:
Improved and productive pasture within local Goose Management Scheme areas
Figure 1. Approximate Location of areas eligible for Goose Management SchemesManagement Requirements and Payments
In most cases applicants sign up to a 5-year management agreement which covers the establishment and management of:
- Feeding zones: Refuge areas where geese can graze undisturbed. No audible scaring within 100m of boundaries of feeding zone fields. Grassland maintained according to good agricultural practice.
- Buffer zones: Non-audible goose scaring permitted, whilst minimising disturbance to adjacent feeding zones.
- Scaring zones: The farmer or his agent actively scares geese. Audible scaring is encouraged through loan of scaring equipment or grant towards equipment purchase.
- Different rates are offered by the local Goose Management Schemes for each of these prescriptions. This reflects differences in farming/crofting practices and profit margins between different localities.
Annual Payments
Scheme |
Islay |
Kintyre |
Solway |
Orkney |
Strathbeg |
Tiree & Coll |
Uists |
| Feeding zone: | £301.55/ha 1 |
£250/ha 5 |
£195/ha |
£195/ha |
£97/ha 1 or £25/ha 9 |
Contact Local Area Office | Contact Local Area Office |
| Buffer zone: | £228.05/ha 1 |
£81/ha |
£100/ha 7 |
£50/ha |
£36/ha | Contact Local Area Office | Contact Local Area Office |
| Scaring zone: | £100/holding 3 |
Grant for scaring equipment |
Loan of scaring equipment |
£100/holding |
Up to £250 per applicant | Contact Local Area Office | Contact Local Area Office |
- Rotational grass or arable ground (AAPS eligible land).
- Non-rotational productive grass
- Flat rate payment per holding for farms with more than 1 but less than 1.5 geese per hectare
- Flat rate payment per holding for farms with 1 or less than 1 goose per hectare
- Feeding zone with stock excluded from December to February inclusively.
- Feeding zone without a stock exclusion period.
- Midtown and Newfield Farms buffer zone - must include 25% of their land as feeding zone
- Other buffer zones
- Set aside land sown to grass
On Islay, a licensed scarer is available to shoot on all reseeds and buffer areas outwith Special Protection Areas (SPAs). The aim is to reduce agricultural damage on these areas by shooting as an adjunct to non-lethal scaring. A bag limit has been determined through the Population Viability Analysis for Greenland white-fronted and barnacle geese.
Relationship with Other Schemes
These seven local Goose Management Schemes are the result of a review
of existing schemes, carried out in 2000, in accordance with the national
policy framework established by the National Goose Forum. All schemes
have been re-designed to help minimise economic losses to farmers, whilst
securing maximum public value for money.
Table 1. Summary of Goose Management Scheme Agreements in force during
year to 31 March 2003
| Islay | Kintyre | Solway | Orkney | Strathbeg | |
| Expenditure on agreements during year: | £603K | £56K | £123K | £15K | £48K |
| Number of agreements in force | 111 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 21 |
| Net area under agreement (ha): | 6,289 | 582 | 921 | 562 | 737 |
| Proportion of eligible area under agreement (approximate) | - | - | 90% | 95% | - |
Note: The Tiree & Coll scheme makes payments towards scaring and shooting across the island. This does not involve individual Management Agreements.
The Uists Goose Management Scheme offers payments for fertiliser application on areas where there are geese resident on improved grassland.
If you would like further information about this scheme or more general information on Natural Care, please contact:
Natural Care Team,
Scottish Natural Heritage,
Battleby,
Redgorton,
Perth, PH1 3EW.
Tel: 01738 444177,
Fax: 01738 444180.