Payments for goose management schemes

We administer goose management schemes, monitor their outcomes and progress, and consult with and seek input from various local and national stakeholders.

Length of management agreement

All of our goose management schemes run for a period of four winters, from 2017/18 to 2020/2021. 

This allows a flexible response to goose movements and crop rotations. For example, a land parcel can be entered into a scheme one year and not the next. Or land may be entered into a feeding zone one year and a buffer zone the next.

One-year management agreements will be extended or renewed by mutual agreement where the land is eligible to enter the scheme for a further year.

Payment frequency

Goose management takes place in the winter months to support migratory geese in:

• Islay
• Kintyre
• Solway
• South Walls

Payments to support these schemes are made in November and in March, as shown in the table below. The payment is split equally between the two payment dates.

Payment scheme for management agreements table

Scheme	Period when goose management is supported	Month when management agreement payments are made
Islay	October - April	November, March
Kintyre	November - April	November, March
Solway	October - March	November, March
South Walls	October - April	November, March

Payment rates

Payments reflect local farming practice and the impact of geese at each location.

We calculate payments that support the provision of grassland for feeding zones and buffer zones using both the:

• additional cost of providing these habitats for geese
• profit foregone when geese consume these crops

View the Table of payment rates for scheme participants below.

Payment rates for Goose Scheme participants (£/ha/year)*

Scheme	Zone	Full Payment Rate (£/ha) is up to:	Payment Rate (£/ha) where combined with otherwise incompatible AECS/RP options** is up to:
Solway	Feeding area	£396	£253
-	Buffer area	£107	£68
-	Buffer area – adjacent to NNR	£218	£139
South Walls	Feeding area	£268	£235
-	Buffer area	£59	£51
Kintyre	Feeding area	£391	£312
Islay	Feeding area
-	Rotational pasture	£437	£321
-	Permanent pasture	£307	£209
-	Grass let – Rotational pasture	£296	-
-	Grass let - Permanent pasture	£187	-
-	Barley	£142	-
-	Root Crops	£146	-
-	-	-	-
-	Buffer area	-	-
-	Rotational pasture	£388	-
-	Permanent pasture	£272	-
-	Grass let – Rotational pasture	£194	-
-	Grass let - Permanent pasture	£152	-
-	Minimum activity payment	£100 single payment	-

 

 *In order to work within a given budget, Local Goose Management Groups may adjust these payment rates slightly in response to changes in goose number and goose distribution. 

** Lower Goose Scheme payment rates may be offered on land that would otherwise be incompatible with existing AECS/RP contracts or AECS/RP applications.  Refer to compatibility checks.

Land managers in the Kintyre and Islay Goose Schemes receive only a proportion of the above payment rates depending on goose density: 

For Kintyre: Within the feeding areas, payments are made on a sliding scale system, dependant on goose density per field – where it is >or equal to10 geese /ha = 100% of the payment rate (£391/ha) and > or equal to 1goose /ha = 10% of the payment rate (£39/ha).  

For Islay: Land entered is allocated to the relevant payment category. Payments are then calculated based on a proportion of overall goose density which is applied to each zone. We assume the maximum goose density a field will hold is 15 geese/ha. See example below;  A holding supports 100 geese over 6 ha rotational and 4 ha of permanent pasture both within the feeding zone and both with a goose density of 10 geese/ha. 

Solway and South Walls scheme participants will receive the payments shown in this table, provided you meet the scheme’s management requirements.

Islay and Kintyre scheme participants receive the same payment rates on a pro rata basis, according to how many geese are supported during the current goose season.

Eligibility criteria

Agricultural land is eligible to enter our goose management schemes. Land that is not eligible to enter the Scottish Government's 'Basic Payment Scheme' is not eligible to enter our goose management schemes. Leaseholders are eligible to participate if the lease runs for at least one full year.

To select suitable fields, we use eligibility criteria based on:

• ‘goose use’ or goose distribution across the scheme fields
• crop type
• crop condition
• expert judgement

Eligible fields are chosen from within areas of highest goose use. We identify these high ‘goose-use’ zones using historical goose count data. To see the zones with the highest average intensity of goose use, view the interactive map of goose schemes.

To claim payment for a goose management scheme option, it must be compatible with the requirements of other funding received for the same piece of land.

Find out about compatibility checks for goose management schemes.