European Goose Management Platform Recognized for Innovation as a Finalist for UNEP’s Kipepeo Award
Pink-footed Goose in flight - one of the focal species of the European Goose Management Platform (EGMP) / Photo: Magnus Elander
Bonn, 11 October 2024 – The European Goose Management Platform (EGMP) has been shortlisted as one of five finalists in the innovation category for the prestigious Kipepeo Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in recognition of its approach to wildlife management.
“The nomination by UNEP highlights the platform’s contributions to sustainable use practices and its role in advancing international cooperation. This is a significant endorsement of EGMP's impact, showcasing it as a model for environmental governance and adaptive management worldwide,” said Dr. Jacques Trouvilliez, the Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
As climate change accelerates and human-wildlife conflicts grow more complex, the EGMP has emerged as a groundbreaking model for managing migratory waterbird species across borders. Established in 2016 under AEWA, the EGMP is successfully balancing the conservation of migratory geese with agricultural damage, hunting, aviation safety, and ecosystem impact concerns in Europe.
“The EGMP is not just about managing goose populations,” said Trouvilliez, “It’s about setting a precedent for how nations can work together to address complex environmental challenges through innovation and cooperation.”
EGMP's unique approach combines robust science, cross-border collaboration and joint decision-making to solve a growing challenge: the rapidly rising numbers of geese in several populations that damage crops, increasing bird strike risks for aircraft and impact ecosystems.
Members of the EGMP Data Centre, based at Aarhus University, Denmark / Photo: Bruno Pereira Leles
The platform’s success lies in its adaptive management framework, which allows for swift adjustments in management strategy based on the latest scientific data and the results obtained. The platform’s own Data Centre, based at Aarhus University in Denmark, collects and analyses data on four AEWA goose species - the Pink-footed Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, Barnacle Goose and Greylag Goose - across over 20 Range States, including 15 that, alongside the European Commission, are officially part of the Platform. This information helps governments set hunting quotas, manage populations and protect habitats based on up-to-date information.
“EGMP’s model has also proven to be cost-effective. By centralizing data collection and analysis among member states, the platform has helped to reduce duplication of efforts and increase the sharing of data, while delivering impactful results across Europe,” said Trouvilliez.
Group photo of delegates attending the 9th Meeting of the platform’s decision-making body, the European Goose Management International Working Group, in Tromso, Norway, June 2024 / Photo: Sergey Dereliev
One standout example is the management of the Svalbard population of the Pink-footed Goose, a species that has been at odds with farmers’ interests in several countries across Europe. Today, it is managed through an AEWA International Single Species Management Plan – which has become the basis for an effective cross-border effort that balances population management with its conservation.
Flock of Geese near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport / Photo: Alber de Hoon
The platform has also established seven dedicated species and thematic task forces that support the implementation of its management plans in the various Range States. These dedicated task forces provide expertise and advice on a range of topics such as population monitoring, management of human-wildlife conflicts and emerging threats to the species. In doing so, they help align national conservation and management initiatives and projects to the agreed international goals set by the management plans at flyway level.
A prominent example is the creation of a dedicated task force on flight safety, through which the platform is collaborating with civil avian authorities to explore ways to share real-time bird tracking data with airport operators to reduce bird strikes - a first of its kind in Europe and an innovative step that will significantly help enhance aviation safety.
The platform is also offering a blueprint for how to manage wildlife beyond migratory waterbirds. Its work supports international environmental goals, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and its adaptive model is increasingly being recognized as a potential model for managing other migratory species.
“The success of EGMP lies in its unique ability to integrate cutting-edge science with international collaboration. By ensuring that conservation and management actions are effective and sustainable, the platform sets a standard for adaptive management of migratory species,” said Trouvilliez.
Last updated on 20 December 2024