Ministers to examine report on game bird hunting regulations
Many other European countries have more regulation of game bird hunting than Scotland, a report has found.
Many other European countries have more regulation of game bird hunting than Scotland, a report has found.
The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) study compares regulations on hunting game birds in 14 different European countries.
The Scottish Government now plans to look “very carefully” at the report to see if it can learn lessons on issues such as tackling wildlife crime and raptor persecution.
All fourteen countries studied regulate game bird hunting through legislation and use a system of licensing of individual hunters, with the strictest form of the requirement making harvest quota and bag reporting a condition of the licence.
In many of the countries examined, hunters must pass a two-part practical and theoretical examination in order to qualify for a hunting licence.
All 14 countries are able to revoke hunting licences if the legislation is contravened and most also penalise serious breaches of hunting law.
In Scotland, game birds can be shot during their open season, which vary according to the species.
Other than the firearms legislation, which provides the necessary control for access to firearms, there is very little regulation associated with hunting game birds.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “I welcome the publication of this report.
“It shows that there is more regulation of game bird hunting in many other countries than we have in Scotland.
“We will be looking very carefully at these different management approaches to see whether they offer the means to address issues such as raptor persecution.
“Already we have committed to a number of new measures to tackle wildlife crime within Scotland including; increases in criminal penalties, a prevention review and the creation of a dedicated investigative support unit within Police Scotland.”
The Scottish Government requested the report as part of a package of work to tackle wildlife crime and, particularly, the illegal killing of raptors.
It also forms part of an ongoing, broader discussion about how land is owned and managed for public benefit.
The 14 countries reviewed were Germany, Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, Finland, Romania, Estonia, Bulgaria, and Denmark, with five chosen as case studies.
All the case-study countries drew a link between the regulation of sustainable hunting and the conservation of game bird species.
Earlier research found the countries with the most significant problem with the illegal killing of predatory birds included the UK and Spain.
SNH chairman Ian Ross said: “This review provides an in-depth look at how other countries in Europe control game bird hunting to make sure it's safe and sustainable.
“It can also inform our thinking on tackling wildlife crime.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: In Scotland, game birds can be legally shot during their open season, as set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as long as this is done with the landowner's permission and compliant with the relevant firearms legislation.''
Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, said: We welcome the publication of this SNH report which will contribute to current discussions in the Scottish Parliament about potential options for licensing of intensive game bird management practices in Scotland, such as 'driven' grouse shooting.
We are clear that the failure by grouse moor owners over decades to self-regulate and put a stop to the illegal killing of raptors and the carrying-out of other unsustainable land management practices has led us to this point.
We support the licensing of 'driven' grouse shooting, with clear sanctions to remove such licences on individual landholdings if there is evidence of illegal practice.''
A spokesman for Scottish Land & Estates said: The SNH report provides a bank of evidence on the regulation of hunting across Europe.
The research demonstrates that although a licensing system may be in operation, the nature of what that licensing regime entails varies significantly from country to country, and is frequently determined by historical traditions and government structures.
We have and continue to support tougher sentences for wildlife crime in Scotland, but what this research also makes clear is that wildlife crime remains a concern in many countries that have licensing regulation.
What we do have already in Scotland, through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, is effective co-operation with all key organisations and police united in working to eradicate remaining areas of wildlife crime. We are firmly committed to this co-operation.''