Report No. 58: Population Status Report 2014-2015

Summary

The population estimate for the Svalbard pink-footed goose (rounded to the nearest 1,000) for the spring of 2015 is 59,000 geese. Population estimates from November 2014 and May 2015, respectively, suggest a substantial decline in the population of c. 14,670 individuals. This decline between counts in November 2014 and May 2015 can be largely explained by the mortality due to hunting and natural causes. It is estimated that in Denmark alone, c. 9,150 geese were shot after the early November count and natural mortality accounted for approximately 2600 individuals, ca. 11,750 individuals. In total, the number of harvested geese increased for the 2014-15 hunting season, with a preliminary estimate of c. 14,800 geese reported shot. Furthermore, the overall weighted proportion of juveniles in the population was 10.3%, below the long-term average of 14.4% (1980-2014). The conclusion is that the population has declined abruptly within the last two years.

For more details please see the attached report.