Goosanders are large sawbill ducks that feed on fish including salmon smolts. They face illegal persecution due to perceived competition with salmon fishing interests.
Goosanders subject to illegal shooting suffer acute traumatic injury and death at the hands of gamekeepers and riparian owners who perceive them as a threat to salmon stocks. Wounded birds that survive initial shooting face infection, starvation and prolonged suffering before death. The welfare cost of illegal persecution is compounded by its illegality - killed birds cannot be monitored and their deaths concealed. Scientific evidence consistently shows that goosander impact on salmon populations is much smaller than other mortality factors, making the welfare cost of persecution disproportionate to any benefit.