THE PROPOSED protection of foxes has been labelled ‘ludicrous’ by the Scottish Countryside Alliance, following proposals to ban the use of dogs in fox control, laid out by Green MSP Alison Johnstone.

Ms Johnstone has suggested that foxes should only be able to be culled under licence as an 'emergency action by an authorised person if a fox was found attacking livestock'.

Her proposals directly contradict the findings of the Scottish Government’s review into hunting legislation carried out by Lord Bonomy where he concluded that further restrictions on the use of dogs in fox control 'could seriously compromise effective pest control in the country'.

Lord Bonomy also concluded that 'the use of packs of hounds to flush out foxes to be shot remains a significant pest control measure, both to control the general level of foxes in an area as well as to address particular problems affecting a farm or estate'.

Figures suggest 36,000 new-born and infant lambs are killed by foxes in Scotland every year at a cost of millions of pounds to the rural economy.

SCA director Jamie Stewart commented: “Ms Johnstone is ignoring all the available evidence on fox management and welfare, and she knows it. The protection of foxes is a ludicrous idea which is a slap in the face to every sheep and free-range poultry farmer in the country. Fox control has always been focussed on lowering the population to a level that makes attacks on livestock less likely. Ms Johnstone is now proposing that farmers will have to wait until a fox has killed a lamb before it will be legal to shoot it.

“Her proposed legislation jumps on every available bandwagon and has no justification on the basis of evidence or principle," said Mr Stewart. "The proposals would remove the rights of farmers across Scotland to control foxes effectively and protect their livelihoods, with no evidential justification whatsoever. An MSP can introduce a Bill, but they cannot ignore the rights of people in rural Scotland."