Barnacle goose invasion threatens farmers' livelihoods

A sharp rise in the barnacle goose population in Southeast Iceland is posing a growing threat to local farmers, as the birds increasingly compete for vital grazing land and consume large portions of cultivated fields.

The geese have become so numerous in some areas that sheep must be brought in early in the fall, as their pastures have been stripped of vegetation.

Urgent need for action

Bjarni Haukur Bjarnason, a farmer at Kálfafell in Suðursveit, warns that the situation has become critical. He says a hunting ban in Skaftafellssýsla has left farmers unable to control the growing bird population, and that urgent measures are now needed to prevent further damage to the region’s fragile agricultural ecosystem.

“The situation is very bad now. The geese are simply eating everything,” says Bjarnason. “There has been little rain, and what little vegetation does sprout is gone almost immediately. They’ve completely devoured the fields.”

He explains that geese destroy pastures intended for lambs, stalling growth and delaying the summer harvest. “You try to cultivate the fields, and they eat it all. By the time you’re ready to move the lambs in, there’s nothing left. It’s causing a serious delay in both grazing and mowing.”

Pastures suffering, yields pPlummeting

The overgrazing has extended beyond cultivated fields, putting natural pastures under pressure as well. “Over the last two years, it’s been terrible,” he says. “We’re seeing up to a 30% drop in production, and there’s no other factor that can explain it—just the rising barnacle goose population.”

Bjarnason stresses that the geese must be hunted more aggressively and that current restrictions on hunting permits in Skaftafellssýsla should be lifted. He has spoken with Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Minister of Industry and Trade, who reportedly supports the idea. The matter is currently under review.

“We can’t wait forever”

“But we can’t endlessly study this problem or assess population data across the entire country,” Bjarnason says. “The impact can be intensely local—like what we’re seeing in Öræfi and Suðursveit. Several farmers in this region are in the same situation. Action needs to be taken—now.”