§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences have been issued to cull Canada geese in the last two years; to whom they were issued; and how many geese were killed.
§ Mr. AtkinsSome 77 licences were issued by this Department and by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to cull Canada geese in 1992. The corresponding figure for 1993 was 71. The number of birds killed were 1,175 and 1,310 respectively. Information that would identify the applicant for a licence is normally regarded as confidential.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what grounds he has issued licences to cull Canada geese; and if he will give details of the methods of control recommended by his Department.
§ Mr. AtkinsLicences have been issued to control Canada geese to conserve wild birds and collections of wild birds, and to preserve public health or public safety.
It is a matter for applicants for licences to select control methods that are not prohibited by the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This week we published a leaflet prepared by my Department, on advice from its Canada goose working group, which gives guidance on legal methods for controlling the species, including shooting, egg pricking and a range of non-lethal scaring and habitat management techniques.