Question reference: S6W-25648
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 21 February 2024
-
Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 1 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the numbers of wild deer in Scotland are a significant inhibitor to greater biodiversity.
Answer
The 2020 review of deer management by the Deer Working Group estimated that Scotland’s wild deer population was around one million deer. Deer, like other herbivores, can have a devastating impact on the environment through overgrazing, trampling vulnerable habitats and preventing young trees from growing.
The 2023 State of Nature report found that Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Our Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 sets out to tackle the nature emergency and address the twin climate and biodiversity crises.
The evidence is clear that effective deer management is absolutely vital to our ability to address biodiversity loss. Our consultation, ‘Managing deer for climate and nature’ published on 5 January sets out our proposals for deer legislation which aims to support nature recovery.