Erslandsvatnet

Norwegian hunters take great pride in catching an extra big and tasty catch. This is why the American Canada Goose was imported into Norway in the 1960s.

In Hordaland, Canada geese were first turned loose at Lake Erslandsvatnet in Bømlo in 1972, after being collected from Sweden. Ten years later, the population in the county was perhaps 100 individuals.After a few more years, the population really took off. It has by no means stopped growing, for Canada Geese are no easy prey.  

Today they nest several places in Bømlo and elsewhere in Hordaland. Around the year 2000 one reckoned that there were between 30 000 and 40 000 Canada Geese in Norway. This is more than today, but the increase has not been problem-free. Canada geese are large and heavy; an adult weighs between 5 and 7 kilogrammes, and flat-footed as they are, they often get blamed for trampling down the farmers' fields. As vegetarians they need a lot of food, and large quantities of goose-excrement is little appreciated in planted fields, parks and swimming areas.