Coalition warns shooting industry will no longer have carte blanche in the countryside with new wildlife Bill
Posted 10th August 2023
As Scotland’s shooting industry prepares for the biggest day in its calendar - August 12th - REVIVE the coalition for grouse moor reform says this will be the last season where the industry has carte blanche in the countryside before it is curtailed by significant legislative changes.
Sport shooting in Scotland is almost completely unregulated but this lack of regulation is currently being scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament as it progresses the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill.
Campaigners are calling on the Scottish Government to be bold with its new Bill despite pressure from large landowners and land managers.
Campaign Manager for the REVIVE coalition, Max Wiszniewski said: “Until now the shooting industry has enjoyed carte blanche, allowing it to create a monoculture suitable for one species - one species they want to kill for their own entertainment. This lack of regulation, over many decades, has resulted in a circle of destruction around grouse moors which is highly detrimental to our wildlife and our environment.
“Celebrating a day where a very small minority of the public will descend on the countryside to kill wildlife for fun is ludicrous. Grouse moors are a metaphor for Scotland’s major land ownership inequalities where a few individuals own most of Scotland at the expense of our people. The Scottish Government will need to be brave in the face of shooting interests to signal to rural Scotland that it’s serious about land reform.”
The start of the grouse shooting season is traditionally marked by the ‘Glorious 12th’ but campaigners say things will be very different once the Bill passes through Parliament.
Max Wiszniewski added: “New legislation will change the rules around how people can capture and kill certain wild birds and wild animals, significantly curtailing the activities around grouse moors which until now have been woefully unregulated.”
The grouse shooting season runs from 12th August to 10th December.
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Notes to editor
- Revive is a coalition of like-minded organisations working for grouse moor reform in Scotland. Coalition partners include Common Weal, OneKind, Friends of the Earth Scotland, League Against Cruel Sports and Raptor Persecution UK.
- Media enquiries to Louise Robertson on 07930 539832 / louise@messagematters.co.uk