ADDITIONAL funding is needed to ensure the goose cull scheme in Scotland's islands is maintained in future years.

The crofting committee of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) has said it is "hugely concerned by the apparent retreat" in Scottish Government support for the scheme, and called for a meeting with environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham.

A three-year pilot project in the Outer Hebrides has come to an end and, while successful in part – in that thousands of birds have been culled – crofters are adamant that it has had little effect on the ground, with huge numbers of greylag geese still feeding off grasslands and crops.

It is thought that changes in climatic conditions have meant that the birds are now resident in the islands all year round, and increasing in number.

In the letter to Ms Cunningham, crofting committee chair Donald Crichton said: "As you will be aware, geese are causing severe damage to grass and crops across the Outer Hebrides, particularly in sensitive habitats such as the Uist machair. This, in turn, is having a detrimental impact on crofter's livelihoods.

"Our experience in the Outer Hebrides demonstrates that goose management schemes, when properly funded and managed, can effectively control populations of geese thereby reducing the incidence and severity of agricultural damage experienced by crofters.

"With the adaptive management pilot having come to an end, we have been advised that a £10,000 Challenge Fund – to be shared between four areas, Coll and Tiree, the Uists, Lewis and Harris and Orkney – is the only central avenue open to enable us to further control/reduce the numbers of greylag geese in the area. This funding is insufficient and will not cover the costs of running a scheme in one area, let alone the required shooting and scaring efforts required across our respective crofting communities."

Mr Crichton was also concerned that permission for the commercial sale of goose meat has been withdrawn as a result of the pilot scheme coming to an end: "Without a licensing scheme and adequate funding, it is inevitable that the goose population will rise to the further detriment of croft land, our communities and our already fragile local economy," he said.