Scottish Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill changes mean one step closer to snare ban

Changes to the Bill’s provisions have caused a mixed response from the rural sector

An outright ban on using snares in Scotland is one step closer to being written in law, MSPs have confirmed.

As part of stage two of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill, which was introduced to Parliament last year, the rural affairs and islands committee met to consider amendments suggested for the paper yesterday.

One of the amendments the committee voted in favour of was to ban the use of snares.

Scotland is one step closer to seeing a full ban on snares and HRCs (pic: Stock image)

This includes humane cable restraints (HCR), which some conservation groups have cited as a more modern and more humane method to use compared to standard snares to carry out essential conservation work.

During her committee appearance, environment minister Gillian Martin said: “This Parliament can no longer ignore the weight of evidence that snares lead to unacceptable levels of suffering, not just for wild animals, but for domestic animals, which can also become trapped in them.

“I recognise that control of predators is necessary in order to protect vulnerable species, as well as livestock and agriculture. But I am confident that a ban on the use of snares would not prevent anyone from undertaking necessary wildlife management and that there are still sufficient alternative methods of predator control that can be used.

“We have paid close attention to the evidence, to what stakeholders have shared in terms of their experiences, as well as our consultation on the matter before taking this decision."

Ross Ewing, director of moorland at Scottish Land & Estates (pic: SLE)

Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess said the introduction of a snaring ban in Scotland would "deliver real improvements in animal welfare”. Scottish Labour MSP Colin Smyth said a "ban on the use of snares is long overdue.”

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), which represents rural businesses across Scotland, said it “strongly opposed” the decision on snares and HCRs. SLE’s director of moorland Ross Ewing said: “Scotland has already lost nearly half of its historic land-based biodiversity and there will be an enduring negative impact on red-listed ground nesting birds and other biodiversity as a direct consequence of this decision.

"It is not by accident that many of their last remaining strongholds are in areas where active predator control, including the use of humane cable restraints, is taking place.”

SLE, however, did welcome other changes made to the Bill, which included removing the provision that would have enabled NatureScot to suspend wildlife trap licences without them being satisfied of a relevant offence having been committed.

An introduced amendment to the document to make it a bespoke offence to tamper with or destroy a wildlife trap was also welcomed by the organisation.