Throughout Drenthe, geese may soon be hunted, except in kind2000 areas and goose foraging areas. The buffer zones of 250 meters around Natura2000 areas where no hunting is allowed disappear.
The province has the effects of the geese hunt within 250 meters of Natura2000 areas in those areas themselves. When that will happen is not yet known. It is about yacht because of the damage caused by the animals to agricultural crops. Three types may be hunted: fire geese, gray geese and large Canadian geese.
According to the province and the Fauna Management Unit (FBE), the number of geese is increasing and therefore also the damage to agricultural crops. The biggest compensation is the gray goose. He lives here both all year, but also hurts Drenthe as a Trekvogel. That is why the province allows population management on this geese species in addition to damage control, through hunting and egg treatment, so that nests do not come true.
According to the province, only geese are shot in places where they have previously caused damage. For important damage to vulnerable crops, it is possible to hunt all year in the Drentsche Aa area, the northern peat colonies, Midden-Drenthe and large parts of Southeast Drenthe.
For important damage to permanent grassland, the hunting area in Southeast Drenthe is even greater and areas around Meppel and Ruinerwold, the Dwingelderveld and the municipality of Noordenveld are added. Here can only be hunted or contested here from 1 April to 31 May.
The province says that it has been extensively investigated whether the geese can also be driven away with less radical means, such as banging devices, scarecrowers and lasers. But all these agents have insufficient effect because geese get used to it.
Animal Rights and Fauna4Life had objected to the first version of the permit. Both organizations will continue that objection or resume it. Erwin Vermeulen from Animal Rights: “According to the Bird and Habitats Directive, your Natura2000 areas are not allowed to disturb and of course you do that if you are going to hunt right next to it.”
Vermeulen finds that the province will investigate the effects of the geese hunt in Natura2000 areas. “You must first investigate before you issue a permit.”
Furthermore, according to Vermeulen, the province did nothing with the earlier objection of the animal organizations. The permit is about ‘supportive slope’, but according to the organizations it is unclear what, where and how much. The need for killing the goose species and the destruction of nests and eggs has also not been demonstrated, the two animal organizations wrote.
“Ganzen are protected birds and only in exceptional situations can you take radical measures, limited instead and time,” they say. According to them, this very large permit does not meet that.