Agricultural entrepreneur Niels Zuurbier from Heerhugowaard fears that only preventive measures are not enough. “Drastic measures are needed. The damage runs out of the claws,” he says. In 2021 spoke NH The farmer in fruit and vegetables already about the considerable damage he has to his washed. He has not seen the goose problem decreasing since. On the contrary, “it’s only getting worse.”
Niels is not the only one. Group chairman Ingrid de Sain of the BBB Noord-Holland says that their party regularly speaks people whose damage is about tons. “Entrepreneurs would like to see that action is being taken faster and more adequately.” With the new Faunaplan, the BBB therefore hopes that the goose problem will be solved.
For victims and growers, there is also a special arrangement from the province, in which they are reimbursed for 95 percent direct damage if geese affect their crops. That is quite aid, but according to farmer Niels there is more than just direct damage. “Personnel is not working efficiently and preventing the damage takes a lot of energy.”
Reduce the population
In recent years, the province had a plan to reduce the geese population. The strong growth was therefore limited, but according to deputy Jelle Beemsterboer that is not enough. The population of the geese is still not falling. And that while the province already kills 55,000 geese a year. The new plan must ensure that in the end there are structurally fewer geese, and these do not have to be shot massively.
Whether the new plans really lead to a structural reduction in geese will still have to be seen. Yet Niels is hopeful: “You have to embrace every plan to tackle the problem.”