Damage Reports
The following table lists reports compiled by Scottish Office, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Officials. The reports document the effect Barnacle geese were having on Powhillon and its adjoining Site of Special Scientific Interest and were written at the request of Ministers so that they could determine whether or not a licence to shoot the birds was necessary. The reports also formed part of a national study on the effects of goose grazing. Barnacle geese are protected by the EU Bird Directive, Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979, however the protection afforded to the birds by the directive has boundaries and exceptions. In terms of Powhillon (an agricultural holding) the protection ended when it could be proven that the geese could potentially cause serious damage to the crops and livestock foodstuffs. The reports were written to establish if the geese were inflicting damage and provide evidential proof of the requirement for a licence if any.
