Scotland’s Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill evidence call receives ‘staggering’ 4,000 responses

The Bill addresses controversial topics including muirburn and moorland management

A committee calling for views on Scotland’s proposed Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill (WMMB) has received more than 4,000 replies.

The Bill was introduced in March this year following a Scottish Government public consultation in 2022.

It contains measures to tackle raptor persecution and to ensure the grouse moors that are not being managed in a sustainable and welfare-focused way will be in future.

A tagged golden eagle. Picture: South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project

A rural affairs and islands committee had since called for comments on the provisions of the Bill, which include introducing licensing schemes for grouse shooting and muirburn, to gather evidence before it is debated.

What does the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill mean for Scotland?

Committee convenor Finlay Carson said the response to the consultation, which closed on Friday, had been “staggering”.

Speaking at a grouse conservation event organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries said: “I checked the replies this morning and there has been more than 4,000 responses; 99 per cent of which have come from individuals. That is a staggering response.”

MSP Finaly Carson, the convenor of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee at a Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust event (pic: Katharine Hay)

To put the figure into perspective, Mr Carson spoke about the Hunting with Dogs Bill, which made it an offence to hunt a wild animal with a dog. The Bill was passed in January and Mr Carson said drew about 2,000 replies.

He said the responses to the WMMB would be analysed over the next seven weeks.

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The Bill was originally titled the Wildlife Management Grouse Bill, which was made in response to the ‘Werritty Review’, a report commissioned by the Scottish Government after NatureScot reported in May 2017 that around a third of satellite golden tag eagles disappeared in “suspicious circumstances” on or around grouse moors.

The review made 40 recommendations regarding grouse moor management. The recommendations accepted by the Scottish Government included to address raptor persecution, and to ensure management of grouse moors is done in an environmentally sustainable manner.

But now the word grouse has been dropped from the title of the Bill, critics say there is a potential the legislation will stretch a lot further across rural industry than the sector expected.

Mr Carson said: “What we have now is a draft of unproven, and, in my view, unnecessary legislation, which could have the effect of reversing traditional conservation efforts, and to curtail the ability of land managers to effectively protect Scotland’s biodiversity and support rural livelihoods.

“There is a misunderstanding of the contribution grouse moors make to biodiversity.”

Some wildlife campaign groups are vehemently in favour of the Bill, including animal protection group OneKind, which published guidance for anyone wishing to send comments to the committee.

The group said it is in favour of the more strict legislation of wildlife traps proposed in the Bill because of “suffering caused by many traps” and “a current lack of regulation and protection”

“We should find ways to co-exist with wild animals and use less harmful methods,” the group added.

Coalition wildlife group Revive insist voluntary enforcement to prevent raptor persecution “has failed for decades” and that deterrents “are not enough”.

Mairi McAllan, then environment minister at the time the Bill was introduced, said: “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.”

She added: “It’s clear that the regulation and protection of our natural environment is an important issue for many.”