I’ve been in Scotland for a couple of days and the glens were ringing to the sound of rejoicing as the Holyrood Parliament’s Environment Committee decided to explore the option of licensing of driven grouse shooting (see detailed coverage by our friends at Raptor Persecution UK).
This is good news and all credit to the Scottish Raptor Study Groups and the RSPB for working together to get this result.
It’s not a done-deal that licensing will come in, and it’s not a done-deal that licensing will be effective, but this does show that there is, north of the border, political will to try to tackle wildlife crime. If only there were any such will a few hundred miles south in Westminster.
In Scotland, the Conservatives were against licensing and the Greens and Labour were in favour. Rather interestingly, a majority of SNP committee members were in favour of licensing with the exception of Richard Lyle MSP (Uddingston and Bellshill). For those readers unaware of the location of Uddingston or Bellshill they lie either side of the M74 near the point where you can glimpse Hamilton racecourse on the right as you head south. The most interesting things about Mr Lyle that I can find on the internet are that he claimed for a bag of chips on expenses and that he supported the idea of teaching creationism in schools. Mr Lyle doesn’t appear to be uniformly popular amongst his SNP fellow members.
Game-shooting interests issued a joint statement on the decision, also covered by Raptor Persecution Scotland, which is merely a litany of bleating. The GWCT in Scotland’s name is absent from the list of signatories – perhaps they were too embarrassed to put their name to it (though that seems unlikely).
There’s a long way to go but a think about licensing is definitely a small step in the right direction. as I wrote in British Birds this year, ‘Progress on the issue may be faster in Scotland than in England. A petition to license gamebird shooting, set up by the Scottish Raptor Study Groups (but with a lot of behind-the-scenes support from the RSPB), is progressing through the Scottish system and let us hope that it results in legislative change. If licensing proved to be effective, then it might open that door in England too; but if it proved ineffective, then it would leave an outright ban as the obvious route for legislators in England and Scotland alike. Either way, it would be a step forward.’.
Let’s raise a large glass to the progress being made in Scotland. Slàinte!
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Very good news. Moreish.
Encourging, but a long, long way to go. Unlike in England there have been signs of progress, but it’s woefully slow and to date virtually ineffective. Let’s give SSPCA the extra powers to deal with these sadistic criminals, let’s allow video evidence of their sickening, repulsive deeds, lets have an effective licensing system and let’s distance ourselves from the attitude of Westminster once and for all!
It doesn’t look like Irn Bru in that glass.
When the opposition are on the back foot rather than the offensive they sound totally crap and pathetic, which is why no doubt they have to be on the offensive their only ‘defense’. Well done Logan, Andrea and Duncan (with a mention for Ian Thomson too) for all their work on this – brilliant result. Apparently some of them have been subjected to abuse on social media, not hard to believe a researcher got a hell of a stick for having the temerity to report that a capercaillie and black grouse conservation project was successful due to habitat management without any predator control. Just makes you more determined to take their toy away from them doesn’t it?
The three tory MSPs voted against change which was hardly surprising, but still pretty shocking given that this was not calling for a ban just tightening of regulation and it’s hard to see how anyone can argue that isn’t necessary. There must be saner and more conscientious conservative members and politicians who see how much sticking up for an ‘elite’ who abuse privilege sends out an incredibly damaging message to the general public, repealing the Hunting Act, honestly!!
Another way to put it would be
For:
SNP 4
Lab 1
Green 1
Against:
Cons 3
SNP 1
If Owners/Factors/Keepers commit criminal acts, or are ‘art and part’ to such criminal acts, then given that said acts are committed in order to boost the financial income generated by sporting estates, then such estates should be the subject of Confiscation Orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Owners of sporting estates, as with any other citizen, should not be permitted to make money from a business which, in order to maintain or increase revenue, relies upon employees undertaking criminal acts.
That indeed should be true. If as we are constantly told all these people in grouse management do not break the law and raptor persecution is carried out by the few why are all the pro shooting organisations so opposed to licensing? it somewhat suggests that they have been mistelling us the truth to use a Bushism, surely not you say, but it implies that they quite possibly are nearly all ” at it” persecution that is.