Today's Agriculture Bill amendments could stop big farming payouts for grouse shooting estates

REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform, has welcomed amendments to the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill that could end generous public funding for grouse shooting estates.

The Stage 3 bill is due to be debated by the Scottish Parliament this afternoon (Tuesday, June 18).

The amendments (37, 38 and 39) were submitted by Arianne Burgess MSP. They seek to address the issue of shooting estates being indirectly supported by farm subsidies, with some estates receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money each year.

The amendments would allow ministers to:

  • 37: rule out specific land uses from getting agricultural subsidies in the future
  • 38: end public funding for estates where the primary activity on the land is driven grouse shooting
  • 39: ensure that wildlife criminals and irresponsible owners cannot benefit from public funding.

Eliza Chiswell, REVIVE campaigner, said:  “REVIVE welcomes Ariane Burgess MSP’s amendments to the Agriculture Bill that would potentially stop grouse shooting estates from receiving public money.

“At its launch in 2018, REVIVE expressed shock that shooting estates could be receiving subsidies and it continues to be very concerned that large sums of public money is indirectly supporting, amongst other things, the killing of hundreds of thousands of foxes, stoats, weasels and crows so that more hundreds of thousands of grouse can be shot for entertainment.

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“It is deeply worrying, for example, that an estate like Invermark, which is “principally a sporting estate” [1] in 2023 received public money to the tune of £213,545 [2].

“REVIVE has asked its supporters to tell all MSPs that these amendments have strong public support because they ensure that valuable public money supports food production rather than shooting. We hope the amendments receive strong cross-party support and prove to be successful.”