Setting population-size targets for geese causing socio-economic conflicts.

Area of Science:

• Wildlife management
• Conservation biology
• Decision analysis

Background:

• Increasing European goose populations are causing conflicts with human activities.
• Effective management strategies are needed to mitigate these human-wildlife conflicts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To utilize multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) for setting population targets for greylag geese (Anser anser).
• To achieve stakeholder consensus on managing super-abundant goose populations.

Main Methods:

• Expert elicitation was used to assess impacts of goose abundance on ecological, economic, and societal objectives.
• Stakeholder representatives weighted objectives, and a consensus-convergence model facilitated agreement on tradeoffs.
• Population targets were established for two distinct management units.

Main Results:

• The preferred population targets suggest approximately a 20% reduction from current greylag goose abundances.
• Achieving these targets necessitates substantial management efforts beyond existing population-control measures.
• Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) proved effective in building consensus among diverse stakeholders.

Conclusions:

• MCDA offers a systematic and transparent framework for resolving human-wildlife conflicts.
• The study provides actionable population targets for greylag geese management.
• Stakeholder involvement is crucial for successful wildlife population management.