A Holyrood committee says the control of the number of geese in Scotland needs to be urgently addressed.
In a letter to the Scottish Government, MSPs have called for the current approach and methods for controlling wild geese to be reviewed so that bird numbers and their impact on agriculture and the environment are effectively managed.
Although some funding might be available through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) the rural affairs, climate change and environment committee believes that this may not be the correct vehicle to deliver additional support.
The committee has recommended ministers reconsider their approach to funding goose management programmes and allocate additional resources to crop protection and “adaptive management plans”.
Committee convener Rob Gibson said: “It has become clear from our evidence that the current level of wild geese in Scotland is causing significant difficulties for crofters and farmers in certain areas. The current approach isn’t working and funding for the management of geese numbers needs to be reviewed as a matter of urgency.
“The committee is aware that the problems faced by crofters and farmers differ from area to area and while the issue of damage caused by goose populations is a national problem there is no one size fits all solution and local solutions using people with local knowledge is required.”
The letter to the government was in response to a petition from the Scottish Crofting Federation.
At the beginning of the month the government authorised a cull of native greylag geese on Orkney continue for another year with the shooting of around 5,500 birds. The meat will be sold in local shops and the internet so the birds do not go to waste and local people can benefit.