GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE ON THE DYFI ESTUARY.
NOTE * GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE ARE FULLY PROTECTED BY LAW.
There was always a large number of Greenland White Fronted geese (GWfG) on the Dyfi estuary but during the hard winter of 1963 many of them died from the conditions. Numbers continued dropping to around 50 birds that came and over wintered on the Dyfi estuary in 1970. In 1972 a no shooting voluntary moratorium was put in place to protect the few remaining birds.
Dyfi & District Wildfowlers’ Association as it was back then embarked on a rearing and release program in 1973-74 in memory of the late Mr Ian Richardson who was killed in a motor accident on his way home from the shoot dinner. Mr Richardson had a passion to see the numbers of Greenland White-Front Geese increase.
Dyfi & District Wildfowlers’ Association went ahead and purchased some breading stock and with the co-operation of the local land owners and wildfowlers numbers increased and peaked at 200 birds in 1990. In more recent years the numbers have been steadily declining as has been the national trend. The no shooting voluntary moratorium has now been replaced by full protection which applies to all areas across Wales.
DMDWA was awarded the Stanley Duncan Conservation Trophy at the BASC AGM held on the 10th June 2017 in recognition for the efforts made by the club to conserve the Greenland White-fronted Geese which has received a new lease of life with a two year satellite tagging and habitat survey project which was financed by the Welsh Government.
Two Greenland White-fronted Geese where satellite tagged in December 2016 and other geese that where captured at that time had neck collars fitted, all with the assistance of DMDWA. DMDWA are part of the Welsh Greenland White-fronted Geese Partnership Group which also includes WG, NRW, BASC, RSPB WWT and an independent ecologist.
Anyone using the Dyfi need to be aware that the Greenland white-fronted goose population is monitored by ground observations.