New wildlife bill from Scottish Parliament will protect raptors

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill has two distinct parts and aims to end raptor persecution, ensure grouse moors are managed sustainably, ban the use of glue traps and tighten regulations for the use of other types of wildlife traps.

It also aims to strictly regulate the use of muirburn, the controlled burning of vegetation, on peatland. Licenses for burning on peat will only be granted in exceptional circumstances, such as for wildfire prevention.

The legislation follows the introduction of new measures in recent years to tackle wildlife crime, including the Animals and Wildlife Penalties, Protections and Powers Act, which introduced high penalties for wildlife crimes, as well as the 2023 Hunting with Dogs Act.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “The illegal killing of Scotland’s magnificent birds of prey cannot be tolerated. This Bill will seek to tackle the destructive minority who would continue to commit these wildlife crimes.

“I recognise that grouse shooting contributes to the rural economy and this Bill is not about stopping this activity. However, it is clear that grouse moors must be managed in a sustainable and responsible way ensuring any environmental impacts are minimised.

“The public consultation on the Bill, which received more than 4500 responses, made clear that the regulation and protection of our natural environment is an important issue for many. The views of both the public and stakeholders have been carefully considered in the formation of this Bill and I look forward to its passage through parliament.”

The Bill has run into early criticism from Scottish Land and Estates. The organisation described the move as a 'legislative sledgehammer to a community which delivers very substantial social, economic, environmental and conservation benefits' and expressed deep concern about the restrictions on muirburn.

Chief executive Sara-Jane Laing said: “This legislation was originally considered to address the issue of raptor persecution – even though Scotland already has the most stringent laws in place to deal with such incidents. This Bill goes well beyond that by introducing punitive civil sanctions for other types of activity without justification.

"It is deeply regrettable that the Scottish Government appears not to have taken on board the massive strides that have been achieved in tackling raptor persecution over the last decade, resulting in incidents being at an all-time low."

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation said the Bill threatened 'hundreds of jobs and millions in economic value'. Its Scottish public affairs manager, Peter Clark, said: "This is yet another raft of legislation which will curtail the ability of land managers to effectively protect Scotland’s biodiversity and support rural livelihoods.

“Unproven, unnecessary and overstretched this Bill threatens more than just successful moorland management, but also farming practices, conservation efforts, hundreds of jobs and millions in economic value.

"The direct and indirect benefits that arise from grouse shooting are too important to be risked in this manner. We will be working with MSPs and the Minister to ensure that the Bill does not have these damaging consequences.”

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said: "It is very disappointing that Scottish Government has ignored the longest running UK research, Peatland- ES-UK, which is finally giving us fresh insights into the important role that controlled muirburn can play in sequestering carbon in peatlands."

The Scottish Countryside Alliance said it was "extremely concerned" that the Bill could: "Undermine effective wildlife management, while also risking much of the investment associated with grouse shooting, which is vital for the management of precious moorland habitats and the livelihoods of many rural workers. Unless the Government works closely with those who actually manage the land, they risk getting this very wrong".

Many of the recommendations were set out in the Werritty Review, an expert panel set up by the Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham to look at managing grouse moors sustainably and legally. This independent report recommended widespread changes to grouse moor management and the regulation of traps in Scotland.

The practice of muirburn in season is currently unlicenced, however it is still subject to compliance with a range of conditions. These include ensuring sufficient staff and equipment are provided to control and regulate the burning operations to prevent damage to any woodlands on or adjoining the land.

In addition to making it an offence to use a glue trap, it will also be a crime to purchase or acquire one in Scotland. The Bill also creates a licensing regime to cover the use of some traps for taking wild birds and killing wild animals.