Effectiveness of a regional subsidy scheme to reduce goose related conflicts

An open access article has recently been published on PLOSone. It describes the historical background and impact of a regional subsidy scheme in reducing goose related conflicts with agricultural interests in North Norway.

The subsidy scheme was established in 2006 in two regions, Nord-Trøndelag and Vesterålen, important stopover sites for geese in Central & North Norway. The article assesses the efficiency of the subsidy scheme in Vesterålen, in terms of its conflict mitigation, reflected in a near discontinuation of scaring activities in the region. It notes that the subsidy scheme has reduced the conflicts between geese and agricultural interests to a minimum in the region. Nevertheless, it suggests that continued monitoring and dialog between researchers, managers and farmers, as part of an adaptive management process, will be important in order to adapt the subsidy scheme and cater for future changes in goose population dynamics.

The article presents results from a multidisciplinary study carried out as part of the MIGRAPOP Project. The article is published on PLOSone and a PDF copy is available on the MIGRAPOP project description webpage.

Date added: 24.09.2013