Bird group urges alternatives to shooting swans over crop damage

Fuglavernd says authorities should seek ways to limit swan damage to crops without killing the birds, according to a statement reported by mbl.is. The group says some crop losses caused by conflicts between wildlife and farming are normal, but argues that the damage to crops has not been adequately assessed.

The statement follows concerns from grain farmers about swans damaging fields. On October 15, pig and grain farmer Auðunn Magni Björgvinsson, who farms at Gunnarsholt on Rangárvellir, told mbl.is that a growing swan population had caused substantial losses on his father’s grain fields. He said they lose up to 40 hectares each year out of 400 hectares of cultivated land, and called for farmers to be allowed to shoot swans to protect their crops.

Fuglavernd says experience abroad shows that several methods of deterring birds from farmland have worked well and should be examined. These include scarecrows, kites and balloons designed to resemble birds of prey, reflective tape, predator decoys and lasers. Moving deterrents appear more likely to work than stationary ones, the group says.

Other options include sound deterrents such as bird distress calls, gas cannons and high-frequency sounds. Dogs can also be effective, while drones are becoming an increasingly promising option.

The group says conflicts between wildlife and agriculture are to be expected because farming uses natural habitats and produces food that wild animals seek, sometimes after their natural habitats on or near farmland have been reduced. It says some crop losses should therefore be included in agricultural business plans, while acknowledging that losses can reach an unacceptable level for farmers and vary between regions.

All bird species in Iceland are protected in principle, although a minister can set hunting seasons and lift protection for some species for use or to address alleged damage. Swans have been protected since the beginning of 1914, and have not been hunted in Iceland for nearly 113 years. They are also protected in Europe under the Bern Convention, to which Iceland is a party.

Fuglavernd says large areas of swans’ natural habitats have been disturbed or destroyed, but the population has grown, probably because of increased grain cultivation and favourable weather and climate. The population was estimated at about 43,000 birds in the latest assessment, in 2020. About five per cent are thought to spend the winter in Iceland.

The group warns that allowing swan hunting could lead to overhunting, as the birds are conspicuous, slow-moving and easy to shoot. It also says hunting may not reduce crop damage unless the population is overhunted, which would conflict with Iceland’s international commitments.