WSNL 1997-1

Declaration of the Workshop on the International
Flyway Management Plan for the Dark-bellied Brent Goose

Texel, The Netherlands, January 23 - 25, 1997

Following recommendations of the International Workshop on Brent Geese in the Wadden Sea (September 1994), the Workshop on the International Flyway Management Plan for the Dark-bellied Brent Goose was held on Texel on January 23-25 1997 with 50 participants from different organizations (farmers, conservationists, scientists, policy-makers and hunters) from Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Russia, together with representatives of governmental, international bodies and nongovernmental organizations. The Workshop discussed a draft international management plan for the Dark-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla bernicla.

THE WORKSHOP NOTED

The history of international technical meetings related to fostering greater cooperation and information exchange on the conservation management of Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Many of the key areas in Europe noted in earlier resolutions have been designated as either Ramsar sites and/or as EU Special Protection Areas since 1977. The population development and conservation successes since the first international technical meeting was noted and welcomed. This has enabled many people to experience geese, thereby increasing support for conservation of coastal areas.

The creation of extensive national parks and other networks of protected areas in the international Wadden Sea, together with relevant intergovernmental coordination mechanisms, is a major achievement for The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. The recent development of very significant nature reserves on breeding areas in arctic Russia, including the

Great Arctic Reserve on Taimyr, was especially welcomed.

The development of closer formal cooperation between Range States is considered important in the addressing of a range of issues now facing the population, including, amongst others, increasing agricultural conflicts and the desire for hunting, in wintering and spring staging areas. The development of an International Management Plan linked to the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), would further assist the maintenance of favorable conservation status in the long-term, particularly helping to resolve the above issues.

THE WORKSHOP CONFIRMED

The following ideal objectives for the long-term management of the population:

1. To permit the Dark bellied Brent Goose to attain an equilibrium level of population in relation to the capacity of the breeding, wintering and staging areas, throughout the annual cycle.
   
2. To seek the conservation and restoration of sufficient natural habitats to support the population throughout its flyway during breeding, staging and wintering periods.
   
3. To minimize the effect of human disturbance in natural feeding habitats and reduce the general shyness of the geese.
   
4. To eliminate the agricultural conflicts on the wintering and spring-staging grounds.

THE WORKSHOP FURTHER NOTED

There are increasing signs that the population size is stabilizing. Internationally coordinated monitoring of population and habitat parameters is fundamental to the conservation management of the population in a scientifically informed manner. To this end the Range States should maintain and further develop adequately funded monitoring programs to deliver key data.

Recent recognition of the White Sea and areas further east as crucial staging areas has highlighted the need for comprehensive survey of these arctic coastal zones so as to develop an inventory of key areas, human impacts and habitat threats. This will facilitate adequate conservation measures to be established.

THE WORKSHOP RECOMMENDED

The following specific actions:

1. That Russia, Denmark, Germany,Tthe Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom agree and implement long-term cooperative measures including an international action plan for the conservation management of Dark-bellied Brent Geese drawing on the results of this workshop and future discussions to be held at intergovernmental level. These countries should work also to involve Baltic countries (Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Sweden) along the migratory flyway used by the geese in the development and implementation of appropriate aspects of the plan. The plan should be formally linked to the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement of the Bonn Convention which will facilitate future collaboration and funding possibilities. Progress should he reported in 1998.

2. That Russia, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom develop and implement national conservation management plans for the Dark-bellied Brent Geese within this international framework. Progress should be formally reported in 1998.

3. That Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom be encouraged to make use of the opportunity that already exists in EU Council Regulation 2078 which they agreed in 1992, to address the needs of waterfowl on farmland. These states, together with the European Commission, are further encouraged to integrate, in a more coherent manner, the needs of waterfowl and farmers in the future development of the Common Agricultural Policy (especially with regard to the need to address the issue in the future development of agri-environmental regulations), and other Community funding mechanisms.

4. Further to recommendations made at the first IWRB Technical Meeting on Western Palearctic Migratory Bird Management (1977, Paris) that the Dark-bellied Brent Goose population should have fully recovered before contemplating the reintroduction of hunting, the Texel Workshop agreed that a further Technical Meeting of experts should be convened in 1999 to test a simulation model for the population dynamics of the Dark-bellied Brent Goose. The outputs of this model would include the estimation of the impact of changes in the parameters (eg. mortality, breeding success, habitat use) on numbers and distribution over habitat types. This exercise will provide the technical and scientific basis to complete the process of assessing the feasibility of opening some hunting on Dark-bellied Brent Geese to be managed in accordance with the objectives of the Management Plan. At the same time research would be valuable on disturbance and flight distances, directed to the different needs of farmers and those wishing to make other non-consumptive use of the geese. This research and other important inputs such as ethical, educational and other considerations will assist policy decisions yet to be taken.

5. That Range States acknowledge the key importance of natural habitats for the long-term conservation of Brent Geese and accordingly strive to prevent further losses and degradation of these areas, including disturbance. In particular, they are urged to explore actively all possibilities for the restoration and further development of natural intertidal habitats, especially Zostera beds.