Scottish grouse shooting: MSPs must not ruin a way of life that serves Scotland so well – Jamie Smith, gamekeeper

Why do I and gamekeepers across Scotland fear for the future when we are part of a way of life that serves this country so well?

A member of a shooting party takes aim on the moors near Dunkeld earlier this year (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA)

In four short months from August onwards, Scotland presents a country sports and tourism offering that is lauded around the world and gives rural communities a vital social and economic boost. The grouse-shooting season underpins a massive amount of conservation work on our heather-clad moorlands that protects and nurtures a tremendous array of wildlife and habitats.

Grouse are only shot when there is a sufficient surplus of them to sustain their populations at the right level. On top of it all Scotland’s grouse moors are outstanding carbon sinks, helping the country to tackle climate change, and are the sites of countless peatland restoration projects. Yet fearful we are.

The Scottish Government has completed a public consultation on the licensing of grouse shooting, prior to pressing ahead with new legislation. More rules and laws for a sector that is already engulfed in regulatory dos and don’ts.

What worries me and most of my colleagues is how this new blizzard of red tape and laws will shape up when it has gone through the political mill at Holyrood. These new laws are meant to tackle raptor persecution which is now at historically low levels in Scotland.

No right-thinking keeper has any truck with that kind of activity but it is depressing that so many opponents of grouse shooting fail to recognise that Scotland already has the strictest anti-persecution laws and such behaviour largely – if not completely – is a thing of the past.

Keepers are passionate and proud about their work. Up on the moors there is a dazzling array of species, from iconic buzzards, golden eagles and red deer, to the elusive but equally treasured mountain hare, meadow pipit and the red grouse itself.

Gamekeepers use age-old skills to boost habitats for a range of species including grouse and the careful control of generalist predators – such as foxes, stoats and corvids – offers a fundamental lifeline to ground-nesting birds, including the likes of the much-loved curlew, that are in national decline.

There is also a growing recognition that moorland management actively reduces the risk of wildfire. Controlled burning of heather in the cooler months – known as muirburn – reduces fuel loads and creates fire breaks. This is more and more vital every year, as our climate warms and devastating wildfires become more common.

We know that the licensing of grouse shooting is coming down the track but if we end up drowning in yet more red tape and overly rigid legislation, there is a real fear among rural communities that jobs and livelihoods could be put at risk. That wouldn’t be good for anyone who lives and works in rural communities but neither would it be good for Scotland.

There is a real need for the social, economic and environmental benefits that moorland communities deliver to be taken on board by the powers that be. Our message is simply: don’t ruin a way of life that is good for all.

Jamie Smith is a gamekeeper in the Southern Uplands of Scotland