Goose management policy review 2022

Annex 1. National Goose Management Policy Review Terms of Reference

The terms of reference agreed with Scottish Ministers are as follows:

1. NatureScot staff, supported by Scottish Government RPID staff, will take forward a Review of Goose Management Policy.

2. A project board will oversee the Review, comprising staff from SG policy and RPID and NatureScot.

3. The Review will produce a report for Scottish Ministers that will include recommendations for delivery of goose management policy over the next 5-10 years.

4. The deadline for submission of a final report is 30 November 2022^[12].

5. The Review will include stakeholder input via the National Goose Forum and local goose management groups (LGMGs). National stakeholder representatives and LGMGs will be responsible for consulting with the memberships of the organisations they represent. It is anticipated that collated responses will be submitted from each organisation and each LGMG. There will be at least two meetings of the National Goose Forum at which the review will be discussed and a third meeting at which a final draft is discussed.

6. The Review will be done in two parts with the first part looking at the delivery of the current policy objectives and the second part to look to the future and make recommendations, with justifications, on the following issues:

a. Goose policy objectives and other key policy and legislative drivers – review whether or not the current objectives remain relevant and if any additional objectives are required, paying particular attention to the just transition to net zero, the green recovery and any new (since the last review) or emerging legislation such as the Islands Bill

b. How goose policy objectives are delivered, including:

What role do national and local stakeholder groups play?

c. Reviewing the apparent inequities in the distribution of financial and resource support with land managers dealing with highly-protected receiving more support compared to those managing less-protected species.

d. Reviewing the support mechanisms for the adaptive management pilot projects and the future of these mechanisms in goose management.

e. Ensuring that national and international commitments are fully integrated within the policy objectives.

7. The review will not consider current payment rates as any future support will be developed once there is agreement on the mechanisms for delivery.

Communications and stakeholder engagement

8. The review will take account of stakeholders' views in the following ways:

a. Feedback submitted by stakeholder representatives on National Goose Forum and Local Goose Management Groups will be considered. This can be in the form of meeting minutes or individual written responses from groups or individuals. Representatives of organisations on NGF or LGMGs are responsible for engaging those they represent.

b. Responses to a questionnaire, which will be available on the NatureScot website^[13].