§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many whitefronted geese on Islay will be shot under the terms of the licences issued; how the killings will be monitored; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI have been asked to reply.
It is not possible to state how many Greenland whitefronted geese will be shot under licence. As the primary purpose is to scare, few geese will be shot. The shooting will be monitored by my officials.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Greenland whitefronted geese are currently on Islay; and what has been the population in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI have been asked to reply.
On the basis of data collected by the Wildfowl Trust, the population of whitefronted geese on Islay over the five-year period from 1982–83 to 1986–87 has risen as follows:
Numbers 1982–83 3,300 1983–84 3,900 1984–85 4,600 1985–86 5,300 1986–87 6,300 In the current year the population has been estimated as being in excess of 7,270.