Drones Take Flight in Battle Against Beach Nuisance

Canada geese and white-cheeked geese are a recurring problem on Stockholm’s beaches. The spillage from the geese risks contaminating the water, which means that several bathing areas have been temporarily closed. 

After a successful pilot last summer, the City of Stockholm is ramping up its efforts to clear popular beaches of the Canada geese and white-cheeked geese. In 2023, the experiment included a fixed installation with speakers and a camera, which identified which type of goose it was and played the species’ warning call. If that wasn’t enough, a drone was used to herd the geese away from the bathing area. 

The innovation project ran for three weeks and showed positive results. Geese abundance dropped markedly at the relevant bathing sites, with a gradual decline throughout the trial. 

During the summer of 2024, the city has decided to expand the innovation project, to investigate whether it causes the geese to disappear completely from Sätrabadet, Maltesholmsbadet, and Långholmen beaches. This summer’s pilot is part of the CITYAM project. 

Alongside the drone trial, Stockholm is working on other measures to prevent geese. This involves, among other things, preventing litter that attracts birds and planting bushes that make the geese uncomfortable. During the summer of 2024, the city will also use a specially trained dog to scare geese away from green areas near swimming areas.

The drone system in the innovation project is managed by the contractor FLOX. Residents are involved through information and signs that invite comments.

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