Magpie geese bag limits will increase from three to seven this season, Environment Minister Lauren Moss has announced, with the Territory geese population estimated to have increased 89 per cent on last year but a peak hunting group has said the government’s 2021 figures had to be wrong.

Ms Moss said Environment, Parks and Water Security Department scientists count the number of magpie geese every year through an aerial survey over Top End floodplains, and this year the Territory’s magpie goose population was estimated to be 89 per cent higher than last year’s population.

“In recognition of a larger magpie goose population being identified during the survey, the daily bag limit has been increased to seven,” she said.

“Hunters were limited to a daily take of three magpie geese in the last season.

“The survey uses a well-established scientific method to give a robust estimate of the total population of magpie geese, with results guiding the annual bag limit and season length.”

Ms Moss said the department estimated there were 1.86 million geese, with the increase attributed to a good wet season, and improved nesting and thus survivorship, along with decreased bag limits during years of low population being important to ensure the recovery of the population.

NT Field and Game Association spokesman Bart Irwin said his association and all waterfowl hunters were thrilled with the increase in the bag limit to what they believed should be the standard each year.

“This year the count is 1.86 million with 64,000 nests. Those nests were still in production during the aerial survey and will add another 250,000 adult geese to the population by the time the hunting season commences,” he said.

“Each nest on average produces 4.5 additional magpie geese. Therefore, the population is really over 2.1 million.

“The count last year of 980,000 had to be a mistake. They lost 500,000 geese in one year. In Estimates Dr Alaric Fisher said the nest count of 64,000 was significantly higher than 2021.

“Well how did we end up with 880,000 more geese at the start of this years breeding season considering the science says each nest on average raises 4.5 geese to maturity?

“Even if the nest count was the same last year as this year, 14 geese from each nest would have had to have fledged to maturity and survived a hunting season and into 2022.”

Ms Moss waterfowl hunting season will commence from September 21, on designated hunting reserves, with hunters also entitled to a daily bag limit of 10 ducks, she said.