Uist, Coll and Tiree Barnacle Goose Management Scheme

Scheme overview

Location: North Uist, Coll and Tiree

Goose species: Greenland barnacle goose

Extent: approximately 400 hectares on North Uist and 250 hectares on Coll and Tiree may be eligible to apply to the scheme.

Population level: 6178 geese (average partial winter count in 2018/19) on North Uist; 4,719 geese (average winter count on Coll and Tiree in 2018/19).

Number of participants: Potentially around 3 applicants on North Uist and 15 applicants on Coll and Tiree would be eligible to apply for the scheme.

Duration: 2 years, from October 2019 to May 2021 (consisting of one-year management agreements which will run from 1 October to 30 April annually).

Eligibility

To be eligible, agricultural land must:

• lie within an area of high goose use
• be permanent or rotational grassland and in a suitable condition to attract geese
• be outwith mainland areas of North Uist (as agreed with the Uist goose group)

View a map of eligible fields below.

How to apply

You must identify on a map the locations of any fields which are to be managed under this option each year.

Information on the cropping regime for each field selected must be provided as follows:

1. LPID Number
2. Field area
3. Detail of cropping regime – including reseeds, surface seeds, crop types (indicate if these are undersown) and permanent pasture. 
4. Surface seeding may also be included if it meets the specified SGRPID criteria.

Management requirements from 1 October to 30 April (inclusive)

Provision of undisturbed feeding areas

• Provide undisturbed grassland for barnacle geese to feed.
• No goose scaring on adjacent areas if likely to disturb barnacle geese on feeding areas.

Payment

Payment rates for undisturbed feeding areas for Uist, Coll and Tiree Barnacle Goose Scheme participants (£/ha/year)

Zone	Full Payment Rate (£/ha)	Payment rate (£/ha) when combined with otherwise incompatible AECS Options:
Undisturbed feeding areas - Uist	£200	£124
Undisturbed feeding areas - Coll and Tiree	£343	£135

Monitoring

Goose numbers and distribution

Barnacle geese are counted monthly from October to March. Ring reading may be carried out at other times to monitor the movement of barnacle geese, within and between sites.

Farmer perception monitoring

NatureScot issues a questionnaire at the start of the scheme and towards its end. This asks land managers about their perceptions of the scheme, their level of satisfaction with it, and levels of damage caused by geese.

Inspections

The following ensure compliance with the scheme’s eligibility criteria and management requirements.

Before land joins the scheme, NatureScot will check Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) data for the current year.

Field size and boundary data will be checked against current IACS data before payments are made. Field size is checked, and payments are made, against the net field area stated on the current season’s Single Application Form.

While the scheme is operating, only non-lethal scaring methods may be used on adjacent areas. Inspectors will note where and when scaring devices are in use.

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