Scottish government press release:
New group to focus on sustainability of driven-grouse moors.
Membership of an independent group to ensure grouse moor management practices are sustainable and legally compliant has been confirmed.
The new group will be led by Professor Alan Werrity, who previously chaired a Scottish Natural Heritage review into sustainable moorland management. It includes scientists, moorland managers, regulatory experts and advisers from SNH, Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
The group has been set up in response to SNH research that found almost a third of golden eagles being tracked by satellite died in suspicious circumstances and that the majority of cases were where land is intensively managed for driven grouse shooting.
The group will look at the environmental impact of grouse moor management practices such as muirburn, the use of medicated grit and mountain hare culls and advise on the option of licensing grouse shooting businesses.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:
‘We have been clear that the continued killing of protected species of birds of prey damages the reputation of law-abiding gamekeepers, landowners and the country as a whole.
This new group will look at what we can do to balance our commitment to tackling wildlife crime with grouse moor management practices, so it continues to contribute to our rural economy, while being sustainable and compliant with the law.
The group membership reflects the complex nature and wide range of issues that need to be considered and I look forward to hearing their advice in due course.‘.
Professor Werrity said:
‘This is truly challenging work given the traditions underlying moorland management and the concerns coming to light over some mal-practices.
My earlier work chairing the SNH Moorland review also sought to reconcile nature conservation interests with promoting the rural economy. I will be taking an evidence-based approach, and for this we have the right mixture of experience, expertise and knowledge on the group to get to grips with the subject. I look forward to getting started on this review.’.
The confirmed membership of the group includes Professor Ian Newton, Professor Alison Hester and moorland managers Alexander Jameson BLE MRICS FAAV and Mark Oddy MRICS CEnV MIAagrM. Dr Calum Macdonald, SEPA, Professor Des Thompson SNH, Dr Adam Smith – Director Scotland GWCT and Susan Davies, SWT, will be specialist advisers to the group.
ENDS
Comment from Scottish Raptor Study Group Secretary, Patrick Stirling Aird:
‘We are delighted that the membership of the panel has been announced and look forward to providing evidence when called upon to do so’.
The public have increasing concerns around the way in which grouse moors are being operated with a substantial body of science proving beyond all doubt the widespread and illegal persecution of birds of prey on many such moors.
We support the introduction of licensing for driven grouse shooting with enforceable sanctions where illegal practices are confirmed. Such a licensing scheme could incorporate a statutory code of practice which helps to protect the public interest and to prevent bad management practices. This concept is widespread in Europe and elsewhere and works well with legitimate shooting interests.‘
Comment from the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Susan Davies:
‘Currently, over 10% of Scotland’s land area is managed for shooting grouse. While this activity brings income into rural communities we have to ensure a balance is struck, and that any benefits are weighed against long-term environmental damage and the persecution of wildlife that are often linked with intensive moorland management.
Scotland’s uplands have an important job to do as stores of carbon and clean water. Unsustainable moorland management including intensive burning and drainage have a serious effect on these functions. There is growing evidence linking grouse moors to wildlife crimes, including the recent report on the fate of 131 satellite tagged golden eagles, between 2004 and 2016, which concluded that a third of these young eagles probably disappeared under suspicious circumstances in areas connected to contemporary records of persecution. Also, despite a number of calls for restraint, mountain hares continue to be culled in large numbers on some estates.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust has been consistently calling for better regulation and a move towards more sustainable management of Scotland’s uplands. Taking a land stewardship approach would have clear benefits for Scotland’s wildlife, but also our economy and society.
To ensure we move forward towards this goal it is vital that the inquiry draws on the evidence and recommendations contained in the review on sustainable moorland management published by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2015. Therefore, we welcome the announcement that the independent panel will be chaired by Professor Alan Werrity, who led the committee which produced that report.
I’m also pleased to have been asked to be a specialist adviser to the panel, and I intend to contribute constructively to finding new solutions that secure the sustainable management of Scotland’s moorlands.‘.
Comment from the RSPB’s Duncan Orr-Ewing:
‘We very much welcome the announcement of this enquiry and of the independent panel. We look forward to giving evidence to the panel in due course.
The remit of the panel includes consideration as to how grouse moors can be managed sustainably and within the law. There are significant public concerns about how grouse moors are currently being managed in Scotland, including clear evidence gathered over decades of the illegal killing of birds of prey.
In recent years these concerns have broadened to encompass wider grouse moor management practices, as commercialisation has taken place, with an emphasis on producing very large and unsustainable grouse numbers for sport shooting. These practices include muirburn on peatland habitats which are important as carbon stores for combating climate change, the culling of mountain hares and the medication of ‘wild’ red grouse, both designed to prevent grouse diseases and artificially boost grouse bags.
We support the introduction of an effective licensing system for driven grouse shooting, with sanctions including the removal of such licences where illegal practices are confirmed. A licensing system could be supported by a statutory Code of Practice setting out clear management standards to protect public interests and prevent bad management practices. These kind of licensing systems are common place in other European countries and equally support legitimate and well run shooting enterprises.‘.
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Where Scotland leads, England and Wales need to follow
At last a rather protracted announcement, but welcomed nonetheless.
Private.
Mark,would it be possible for instance get RSPB permission to put a Hen Harrier appeal for signing the epetition in prominent position at their reserves.
Alternatively someone do a professional A4 size paper that some of us could print off a email and hand out at reserves or just on public land outside gateway to reserves.
Obviously visitors to these reserves are the most likely to sign of any group.
I wonder how long it will take, I’m so impatient to see things actually begin to change, but a welcome step forward.
I realise my opinion will be seen by many as out on a limb regarding this announcement, but I honestly believe the outcome of the enquiry will be a significant disappointment to all who care about the future for Hen Harriers, other birds of prey and moorland wildlife in general. The signs are all there – deep presumptions being made that grouse shooting is economically important to Scotland, that it is an entirely acceptable activity per se, and all that needs to change is for the industry to get its house into order. Add to that a notable minority of panel members who have the guts to challenge the establishment, and we can expect a wordy liberal statement of intent which does little but maintain the status quo. Call me a pessimist but I wouldn’t be surprised in ten, twenty years from now if we are still complaining about the very malpractices this enquiry is intended to eliminate. The same people or similar-minded successors will be in charge, and still bending the truth to pretend that ongoing problems are caused by the few bad eggs, etc, etc. Liberal conservation representatives will continue to seek compromise which doesn’t face up to the reality or the fundamental ethics of recreational killing of wildlife, and more determined individuals a la Chris Packham have to start the campaign to ban grouse shooting all over again. I strongly suspect that the likely fudge resulting from this enquiry will make that laudable objective far more difficult in future, operating as a significant obstacle to further debate.
Iain – we’ll see.
He’s correct I’m afraid Mark
I remain sceptical and cynical (that’s what happens with age, experience and researching everything fracking), but it’s rather more promising and positive than anything happening in England.