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Projects

 

Here you can find details of previous and on-going projects related to the International Species Management Plan for the Svalbard Pink-footed Goose:

Project Started Duration Status
‘Geese Beyond Borders’ Project 2014 3 years Current
Monitoring the wounding of geese 2013   Current
Belgian tradtional grassland restoration  2013 5 years Current
Monitoring ‘goose grubbing’ on arctic tundra in Svalbard  2013 3 years Current
Danish ‘Improved Goose Hunting’ Project 2012 4 years Current
Norwegian ‘MIGRAPOP’ Project 2011 3 years Finishing

 

The polder grasslands of east coast Belgium are important wintering grounds for pink-footed geese and many other grassland and waterbirds. Since the 1960’s there has been a significant loss of traditional polder grasslands as a result of drainage and shifts to other more intensive forms of agriculture. This LIFE funded project, managed by Natuurpunt aims to restore a number of key polder grassland sites tackling the threats to the unique habitats and species, which are characteristic, of these important grasslands.

 

This is a Danish demonstration project, initiated as part of International Species Management Plan, to test how the regional organization of hunting in Denmark of pink-footed geese can be optimized, whilst minimizing the disturbance and wounding of geese.

Field hide with hunter and gun

Summary

The ISMP specifically sets-out to minimize the wounding of geese, often referred to as ‘crippling’. There have been several initiatives, particularly within Denmark, to educate hunters about this issue and to reduce the wounding of geese through basic remedial actions. An essential part of ISMP implementation has been monitoring to determine occurrences of geese with embedded pellets in order to guide initiatives to reduce wounding / crippling.  For more information please read below.
 

X-ray of pink-footed goose with embedded shotgun pellets

Foraging on crops by migratory geese has increasingly been the cause of conflict with agricultural interests in Norway. This project sets out to provide a framework for a more all-inclusive and adaptive approach for managing goose related agricultural conflicts. Its focus is at the regional management level in Central & North Norway, with scientists, managers and users collaborating in the process of decision making.

Pink-footed geese grazing on pasture Vesterålen, North Norway.

International research and management collaboration

For full picture details, please visit the credits page.