Snaring disgrace

Published on Monday 25 February 2008 21:21

Mike Russell's decision not to ban snaring (your report, 21 February) supports animal cruelty and exploitation for economic gain. This is a disgraceful position for any civilised country to adopt against the wishes of the majority of its population.

A British Association for Shooting and Conservation report leaked last year revealed up to 40 per cent of game birds were injured rather than killed every year. More than 30 million are shot each year in the UK.

Raptors are poisoned and wildlife snared, all to support a shooting and so-called conservation industry, which is animal cruelty on a massive scale. Shooting at live targets should be banned.

ANGUS MACMILLAN

Meikle Boturich

near Balloch, Dunbartonshire

Your report on the Scottish Government's decision not to ban snares was accompanied by a photo of a deer caught in a snare. This was clearly an illegal snare set by poachers at a height to catch a deer.

Snares used for trapping rabbits or foxes are set low enough to catch them, and therefore too low for a deer to get its head through.

GEORGE MORRISON

Garrier Court

Irvine, Ayrshire