Goose populations reported in good condition

Iceland’s goose hunting season begins on Thursday, with greylag and pink-footed geese available to hunt, mbl.is reports. The Greenland white-fronted goose, which passes through Iceland on its way to and from breeding grounds in West Greenland, remains protected because its population has declined in recent years.

Barnacle goose is the third goose species that may be hunted in Iceland. Environment, Energy and Climate Minister Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson has authorised a hunting season from September 1 to September 20, five days longer than last year.

The ministry said the barnacle goose population has had strong breeding results in Iceland in recent years and has shown positive development. This has strengthened the case for increased hunting within the limits set by an agreement between the Icelandic and British governments. Extending the season is also intended to reduce farmers’ dissatisfaction with damage caused by the birds.

The minister accepted proposals from the Nature Conservation Agency to extend the 2026 barnacle goose season by five days. A sales ban on barnacle geese will remain in place.

Iceland’s barnacle geese stay in West Skaftafellssýsla. The main population breeds in East Greenland, and Iceland’s population originates there. The birds stop in Iceland in spring and autumn while travelling to and from their breeding grounds.

Hunters optimistic

Áki Ármann Jónsson, chairman of SKOTVÍS, told Morgunblaðið that hunters were optimistic ahead of the season. Spring and summer had been favourable, with no spring cold snap disrupting conditions, and the goose populations that breed in Iceland had therefore come through the summer well.

The pink-footed goose population is strong and growing, according to Áki Ármann. It is estimated to number between 400,000 and 500,000 birds. Most pink-footed geese spend the winter in the British Isles and usually leave Iceland in October. In recent weeks they have stayed in lowland areas, while early in the hunting season hunters target them in the highlands.

Uncertainty over greylag population estimate

The greylag goose population is considerably smaller, estimated at at least 60,000 to 70,000 birds. Áki Ármann said there was some uncertainty in the estimate because the geese had traditionally been counted in the British Isles, always in the same areas.

The birds have now begun moving farther north, to the Shetland and Orkney islands, and are spending less time on the mainland. This is attributed to climate change.

The greylag goose population is currently being reassessed and is thought to be growing strongly. Some people believe it is considerably larger than the existing estimate, with the population possibly numbering 80,000 to 100,000 birds.

Greylag geese are also leaving Iceland later in autumn than they used to, and increasingly spend the winter in Iceland. This has complicated population counts. As a result, the geese in Iceland are now counted at the same time as those in the British Isles.

“It has been a problem that greylag geese have started leaving so late that they mix with the British geese, which has caused errors in the counts,” Áki Ármann said.