Sadly, the Greenland White-fronted Goose (pictured below) is an increasingly rare sight in Wales. The only returning population of these attractive geese who spend the winter in Wales is found on the Dyfi Estuary, which was host to the BBC Springwatch programme for the last three years. The numbers of these geese visiting the Dyfi have dropped dramatically from 167 in 2000, to just 55 birds last winter.
The Dyfi geese are precious, and their worldwide situation is now so dismal that they are considered endangered on a global scale. It has been recognised internationally that all possible steps should be taken to minimise adult mortality, including banning their hunting throughout the species’ range. No surprise then, that at RSPB Cymru we welcomed the move by Welsh Government, earlier this summer, to look at introducing a legal ban on the shooting of these increasingly rare geese.
What is shocking is that the Welsh Government has now backtracked, favouring an extension of the existing voluntary protection over the introduction of a compulsory ban. They have said they will look at habitat improvement and effective recording... but the Government has ducked the main issue of ensuring a legal ban on shooting to give full protection to our geese.
It is true that the existing voluntary agreements on parts of the Dyfi Estuary (which is shot over by wildfowling clubs) have played an important role in safeguarding our Greenland White-fronts, but this voluntary approach is useless away from those areas. We know that the Dyfi geese are increasingly feeding on farmland further from the core part of the Estuary, where there is no control, voluntary or otherwise, and there is anecdotal evidence that Greenland white-fronted geese continue to be shot in Wales. Any additional pressure on this tiny population on the Dyfi can only put the future of this species in Wales at greater risk.
The Welsh Government’s decision is a puzzle to me. In both Iceland and Greenland governments have taken the logical decision to permanently close hunting of Greenland White-fronted Geese in recent years, despite the importance of geese to hunting in their respective counties, because of concern for the Greenland white-fronts’ long-term survival.
Our Government’s illogical decision leaves Wales as one of only two countries in the world - alongside England - without legal protection! In Scotland and Northern Ireland I’m delighted to say that the birds are fully protected.
In response to the Welsh Government’s change in position RSPB and four other conservation organisations (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Wildlife Trusts Wales, Welsh Ornithological Society, Greenland White-fronted Goose Study) have written to the Minister, Alun Davies, calling on him to urgently reconsider his position. If you’re also shocked by this decision and want to make your voice heard why not Tweet Alun Davies direct @AlunDaviesAM
For further information, you may be interested in reading this article on BBC news where Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams comments on this issue:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23663583