Isles crofters call for greater controls on wild geese numbers

Crofters in the Western Isles have called for greater controls on wild geese.

Thousands of greylag geese feed on machair, which are coastal meadows also used for growing crops and grazing livestock.

The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) said there were too many geese and has requested additional funding for culls so crofters and birds could "live in balance".

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said the Scottish government invested up to £1m a year to prevent and mitigate damage caused by geese.

SCF chief executive Donna Smith said some of the funding was used to pay for marksmen and their ammunition.

But she said culls at their current level were not keeping on top of numbers of geese.

"The numbers are blooming," she told BBC Naidheachdan.

"I know a lot of people might not agree with that (culling), but we are now at a tipping point where these birds are causing significant damage to the crops and grass in some areas."

Smith added: "We need to do something so culling numbers is probably the easiest way.

"It doesn't mean getting rid of them all. It just means getting rid of enough so the two can live in balance."

Holyrood's cross-party group on crofting has also written to the Scottish government to call for more funding for shooting schemes.

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said the Scottish government was investing in schemes.

He added that the pressures and threats facing crofting would be taken into account.

Crofters have previously warned of the threat posed by geese to their way of life.

Four years ago, SCF claimed there had been an "explosion" in numbers of the birds.

Greylag are the largest breed of wild goose native to the British Isles, and their preferred habitat is farmland, wetland and grassland.