Dark-bellied Brent Goose Workshop held in Bonn

Bonn, 15-16 December 2009 - International experts, government officials and stakeholders from five of the six Range States of the Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom) gathered in Bonn, Germany for a two day workshop in order to decide how to proceed with the proposed AEWA Single Species Action Plan for the subspecies.

Due to the current favourable conservation status of the Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Branta bernicla bernicla) the group decided not to go through the process of drafting a full-fledged AEWA Action Plan at this stage. Instead, it was decided to gather all relevant information, recommendations, conservation objectives and activities in a conservation report for the species.

Nevertheless, experts also agreed that possible changes along the flyway such as competition on the staging grounds with growing numbers of Barnacle Geese or habitat changes due to eutrophication and climate change as well as constant high predation in the breeding grounds due to lack of peak years in the lemming cycle could cause Dark-bellied Brent Geese numbers to drop again. In addition, many knowledge gaps remain, even though the Dark-bellied Brent Goose is a much studied species, especially concerning the staging and breeding grounds in Russia.

Therefore the report will also set a threshold of 200,000 individuals under which the population should not drop. This will provide a warning signal for stronger conservation measures and the drafting of an Action Plan for the species, when needed.

For more information please contact: Mr. Sergey Dereliev, AEWA Technical Officer.