Chamber and committees

There are a range of strongly-held views on wildlife management in Scotland. The Scottish Government takes the view that field sports are an important component of the rural economy. We accept that control of predators is sometimes necessary for the management of field sports businesses, as it is for other land management purposes. Our aim is to ensure that all legal predator control is carried out in a way that is consistent with best practice in animal welfare standards.

There are strict regulations governing the setting of traps in Scotland which must be undertaken in accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Spring Traps Approval (Scotland) Order 2011. We are strengthening this legal framework through the wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill, which includes provisions for mandatory training and licensing for trap operators. We also intend to bring proposals forward for a complete ban on the use of snares in Scotland during Stage 2 of the Bill, as we believe the use of these devices poses an unacceptable welfare risk to wildlife and domestic pets.

We also increased the penalties for illegal use of traps and snares alongside other wildlife offences in the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020.