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PE1490: Control of wild goose numbers

Petition summary

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to address the problems created by increasing populations of wild geese in the crofting areas as a matter of priority; reassess its decision to stop funding existing goose management programmes, and assign additional resources to Crop Protection and Adaptive Management programmes to ensure this threat to the future of crofting is averted.

Petitioner: Patrick Krause on behalf of Scottish Crofting Federation

Status: Under consideration

Date published: 16 July 2013

Click here for the full petition

This petition has been referred to the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee.

SPICe Briefing

Committee Meetings

29 October 2013: The Public Petitions Committee took evidence from Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, and Roddy MacDonald, Board Member, Scottish Crofting Federation. The Committee agreed to refer the petition, under Rule 15.6.2, to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee.

Official Report of Meeting 29 October 2013

Written Submissions

Read any written submissions received by the Public Petitions Committee before May 2021 on our old site

27 November 2013: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed to write to the Minister, relevant local authorities, the Crofting Commission, Scottish Crofting Federation and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust for further information.

Official Report of Meeting 27 November 2013

2 April 2014: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed to take oral evidence from stakeholders and the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on the issues raised in the petition and in the written evidence received from stakeholders and from the Scottish Government.

Official Report of Meeting 2 April 2014

18 June 2014: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee took evidence in round table format on a Petition by Patrick Krause on behalf of the Scottish Crofting Federation on control of wild goose numbers from:

Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation; Andrew Bauer, Deputy Director of Policy, National Farmers Union Scotland; Councillor Uisdean Robertson, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar; Dr Baz Hughes, Head of Species Conservation Department, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust; Marina Curran-Colthart, Local Biodiversity Officer, Argyll and Bute Council; Dr Paul Walton, Species and Habitats Policy Officer, RSPB Scotland.

Official Report of Meeting 18 June 2014

25 June 2014: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee took evidence from Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Andrew Taylor, Policy Officer, Wildlife Management, Scottish Government and Eileen Stewart, Head of Policy and Advice, Scottish Natural Heritage.

Official Report of Meeting 25 June 2014

6 August 2014 (in private): The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed its letter to the Scottish Government on the following petition: PE1490 by Patrick Krause on behalf of the Scottish Crofting Federation on control of wild goose numbers. The letter will be published on the Committee’s webpage in due course.

12 November 2014: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed write to the Scottish Government for further information.

Official Report of Meeting 12 November 2014

1 April 2015: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee considered correspondence on petition PE01490 by Patrick Krause on behalf of the Scottish Crofting Federation, on control of wild goose numbers. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government seeking additional information in relation to the points raised by the Petitioner.

Official Report of Meeting 1 April 2015

24 June 2015: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee considered petition PE01490 by Patrick Krause, on behalf of the Scottish Crofting Federation, on the control of wild geese numbers. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government asking it to undertake an urgent independent review.

Official Report of Meeting 24 June 2015

7 October 2015: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed to keep the petition open and consider the next steps as part of its forthcoming work programme discussions.

Official Report of Meeting 7 October 2015

9 March 2016: The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage. The Committee agreed to keep the petition open and recommend to its successor committee, via the Legacy Report, that it may wish to consider examining the outcome of the review of wild goose management by Scottish Natural Heritage, with a view to deciding what further action, if any, should be taken on the petition.

Official Report of Meeting 9 March 2016

1 November 2016: The Climate Change and Environment Committee agreed to await the publication of Scottish Natural Heritage's review of goose management policy and to write to the petitioner seeking an update on wild geese numbers.

Official Report of Meeting 1 November 2016

1 October 2019: The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee agreed to keep the petition open. The Committee agreed to write to the petitioner to provide an update. The Committee also agreed to write to the Scottish Government.

Official Report of Meeting 1 October 2019

23 February 2021: The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee agreed to keep the petition open and include it in its legacy report to its successor committee.

Official Report of Meeting 23 February 2021

Written Submissions

Read any written submissions received by the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee before May 2021 on our old site

Committee meetings

9 November 2022: Evidence session with NatureScot.

27 April 2022: The Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee took evidence from Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation, agreed to write to the Scottish Government and NatureScot. The Committee agreed to wait for NatureScots five-yearly review of goose management in Scotland to be published before considering the petition further.

A record of all committee meetings