Gamekeepers call on the Scottish Government to officially recognise the culling of predators to keep other species from extinction

Some bird population levels are at ‘crisis’ point

A group of gamekeepers want the Scottish Government to officially recognise the importance of culling predators such as foxes when it comes to trying to save some species from extinction.

Gamekeepers and other land managers are allowed to cull predators as long as they follow the government’s licensing system and “strict” legal controls.

However the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association says the government has grown unsupportive of the method over the past decade, and says this has caused many land managers who previously would have carried out predator control to stop the practice.

Lapwings are under threat in Scotland.

A spokesman for the association said: “There is a general feeling we want to do more to save some of the species the public loves that are really under threat from potential extinction within a generation.

“Capercaillies are down to 300 to 500 individual birds left in Scotland, which is a crisis situation.

“When it comes to curlews and lapwings, we have lost about 56 per cent of each species within the last 10 years, and we have also lost a significant proportion of oystercatchers.

“The biggest problem is not necessarily habitat, but we are in a situation where they can’t produce enough young to sustain the population over time.”

Only a few hundred capercaillies are left in Scotland. Image: Michael Callan.

They said if species like these are to be saved, land managers need to be able to control the numbers of “abundant” species like foxes and stoats.

The spokesman added: “Land managers feel that in the parliament in the last five to 10 years there has been a move away from recognising the role controlling general predators plays in conserving other species, maybe because people don’t understand the value of predator control.”

They said legislation that is going through Holyrood, such as proposals to restrict hunting with dogs and plans to ban the use of some traps and snares, will make it more difficult to grow the number of some under-threat species.

The spokesman added: “It used to be every farmer and crofter would have a firearm they could use to shoot crows if they were bothering their crops.

Curlews are under threat in Scotland.

“But it is much harder to get a firearm now and a lot of farmers don’t do it quite as much.

“Those working in forestry used to undertake fox control and crow control, but that’s now no longer part of their role so we have lost another cohort of land managers doing this.”

The association has since submitted a petition to the parliament, urging the government to officially recognise the legal control of predators in conserving ground-nesting birds.

It says while they understand this idea might not be popular with everyone, it is still the best thing to do.

The spokesman added: “Some people naturally won’t like the culling of animals, and we understand that.

“However the scientific rationale for controlling abundant generalist predators makes sense, because it won’t have a negative impact on their conservation status within Scotland, but it could potentially bring a declining species back.”

A government spokesman said it will soon be publishing a strategy on how to deal with the nature emergency.

They added: “Predator control can play a role in protecting vulnerable species, provided it is done proportionately and humanely.

“The government already allows it under a licensing system which is subject to strict legal controls.”