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| Attendees at one of the recent SGA Snare training courses in Perth. |
Earlier today (March 14th 2017), Scottish Government published the findings of its review of snaring, carried out by an independent review group, led by Scottish Natural Heritage.
You can view the report press release and the content of its findings, here: http:
Responding to the report, Alex Hogg, Chairman of The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said: "We are pleased to hear the independent Review Group's findings that the number of snaring incidents in Scotland have fallen to statistically very low levels. As an approved body, the SGA has trained a significant proportion of those legally permitted to operate snares in Scotland, in accordance with best practice and the tougher regulations brought in under the WANE Bill. We will now work with Scottish Government and SNH to develop an updated Code of Practice."
Ends.
Using Snares in Scotland:
Using Snares in Scotland:
Snares are a legal management tool deployed for the control of abundant foxes which predate ground nesting birds, some of which have suffered declines of almost 50 per cent in recent years and are now regarded a national conservation priority. https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/releases/410756-curlew-should-be-uks-top-conservation-concern-says-rspb-scotland
Snares, when set in accordance with the law, can be deployed in areas and at other times of the year where alternative methods are not effective. High vegetation in summer months and areas of extremely rough terrain are examples of situations where snares are the most effective method for fox control. Similarly, when set legally, the snare acts as a restraining device until the target animal can be despatched or any non target species can be released unharmed. Scientists also deploy snares to safely capture animals they intend to fit with radio tags.
The Snares (Training) (Scotland) Order 2015 looked at the welfare issues surrounding the setting of snares. This resulted in all those wishing to operate snares legally in Scotland being trained to do so, with the welfare of the animal being paramount.
One of the organisations approved by Scottish Government to deliver training was The Scottish Gamekeepers Association. To date, the SGA reports that it has trained 600 of its own members and 200 non-members out of the 1500+ individuals in total who have been accredited to operate snares legally in Scotland.
Proportionate to the numbers of individuals trained to use snares, there have been very few recorded prosecutions connected to the misuse of snares by individuals who have been trained and whose fox or rabbit snares carry the necessary personal identification tag which must be obtained from Police Scotland.
Practitioners Guides set out the legal and welfare requirements for setting snares and can be found here: http://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/docs/Snaring%20in%20Scotland%204th%20Edition%202012.pdf
