DOC 3

Grŵp Yr Economi, Sgiliau a Chyfoeth Naturiol Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group

Ein Cyf/Our Ref: ATISN 10715

23 September 2016

Dear ,

ATISN 10679: Written Statement - Promoting the conservation of White-fronted Geese in , issued by Lesley Griffitths, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, 17th August 2016. Thank you for your request which I received on 22 August about Greenland White-fronted Geese.

Some of the information you have requested is enclosed (Annex 1).

I have decided that some of the information described in your request is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act and is therefore withheld. The reason for applying this exemption is set out in full at Annex 1 to this letter.

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ or Email: [email protected]

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,

Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government Ffôn ● Tel Rhyd y Car Gwefan ● website: www.llyw.cymru Merthyr Tudful / Merthyr Tydfil www.gov.wales CF48 1UZ

Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process. Yours sincerely

Annex 1

1. How many of the 1200 responses were in favour of a legal ban on shooting white fronted geese.

I have decided this information is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act (“information reasonably accessible by other means”) and is therefore withheld. I refer you to the published summary of consultation responses document where this information can be found. https://consultations.gov.wales/consultations/promoting-conservation-white-fronted-geese-wales

2. What scientific evidence was provided by respondents to show that allowing shooting would not affect the population.

3. What scientific evidence was provided to show that any shooting would adversely affect the population.

A number of respondents submitted information which either; i) referred to scientific papers (i.e. a paper published in a peer review scientific journal) or ii) provided detailed arguments either in favour of, or not in favour of, a statutory shooting ban. I enclose copies of the points made in the consultation responses which meet i) and ii) above. For these responses I enclose a table showing the response reference number and respondent details where respondents did not request that their response was kept anonymous. Where more than one respondent occurs within one row of the table identical responses were submitted and only one example copy has been provided. The majority of respondents either provided very brief responses (i.e. ‘I support Option 1’ or ‘I support Option 5’) or referenced the material provided by the RSPB.

4. What amount of funding is being provided over the coming 2016/17 and the following 2017/18 wintering periods to carry out the research promised in the statement, namely: monitoring of GWfG numbers, distribution and behaviour on the Dyfi and Anglesey: monitoring population age structure and condition: monitoring movements of GWfG across their range (by satellite tracking): assessment of field condition in areas occupied by overwintering GWfG and who will be carrying out this research,

The Cabinet Secretary has agreed to fund further research into the conservation needs of GWfG in Wales. This funding amounts to £24,000 and covers the winter period of 2016/17 and 2017/18. The funding will be provided to Natural Resources Wales to enable them to manage a contract to support the research work. NRW will invite at least three or more competitive quotes for the research work. The successful contractor will be asked to work closely with a partnership of; NRW, the RSPB, BASC, the Dyfi, Mawddach and Dysynni Wildfowlers Association and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Reference Name Organisation or location if specified 807 Dr Conor O’Gorman BASC 326 Rachel Evans Countryside Alliance 791 Nicholas Powell Dyfi, Mawddach and Dysynni Wildfowling Association 820 Patrick Lindley Natural Resources Wales 843 Rachel Lewis Davies NFU Cymru 831 Michael Sherman Michael Sherman 473 Heather Galliford RSPB 777 Julia Stoddard Scottish Association for Country Sports 786 Ian Spence Welsh Ornithological Society 795 Carl Mitchell Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust 830 Dr Lizzy Wilberforce Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales 828 James Byrne Wildlife Trust Wales MB22 Robin Sandham MB23 Dick Squires MB24 Medwyn Roberts MB119 Dr Ian Scott Ystumtuen, Ceredigion MB241 Jim Marshall Glandyfi, Powys MB308 Tom Eyles , Powys MB311 Anonymous Usk, MB314 Veronika Brannovic Pontypool, Torfaen MB324 Henry Lamb Talybont, Ceredigion MB475 Anonymous Lampeter, Ceredigion MB510 Pencoed, Bridgend Anonymous MB545 Wonastow, MB729 Heather Colls Langland, Swansea MB734 Ciaran O Brien MB814 Prof Brian I Duerden OL133 Brenden Elding Ammanford, Carmarthenshire OL161 Anonymous Ammanford, Carmarthenshire OL224 Rob Parry Bridgend OL298 Anonymous Aberystwyth, Ceredigion OL316 Anonymous Caerphilly OL317 Chloe Elding Cardiff OL318 Yvonne Piliniger Abergavenny, Powys OL321 Swansea Andrea Jackman OL333 Kessingland, Suffolk HW42 Anonymous Dixton, Monmouthshire HW46 Anonymous Cwmbran,Torfaen HW48 David Richards Bromyard, Herfordshire HW49 Paula Skyrme Ebley, Stroud HW50 Anonymous Exmouth, Devon HW51 J F Towers Nailsworth, S Moyse Val Hopes MB310 Ethan Hall Cathays, Cardiff MB313 Rebecca Cresswell- Davies MB315 Holly Mennell Cardiff MB349 Alex Macdonald MB440 Dr Ian Francis Alford, Aberdeenshire MB453 Robin Marshall-Ball MB506 Andrew Burton MB603 Archie Gillespie MB621 Dr J S Miller Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire MB773 Gethin Jones MB846 Nick Powell Minsterley, Shropshire OL27 Anonymous OL60 Aaron Davies Pontardulais, Swansea OL62 Anthony Fox Nimtofte, Denmark OL64 Ian Mears Cardiff OL98 Anonymous Powys OL108 Mick Green Talybont, Ceredigion OL175 Neal Mallet Headington, Oxford OL208 Paul Davis Haselmere, Guilford OL251 Ginny Battson St Fagans, Cardiff OL315 Peter Croft Shrewsbury, Shropshire OL339 Michael Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire HW37 W M Thomas-Palmer Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire