The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill attempts to implement the recommendations of the Werritty Review, but its scope is far-reaching, going beyond its initial raison d’être. Focusing on three key points, grouse moor licensing, muirburn licensing and further regulation of traps, it seeks views on policy proposals which are inconsistent with those proposed in the review.

Members of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee had been due to vote on the Bill this week but that has now been deferred until February 7th.

BASC responded robustly to the Scottish Government’s recent consultation which focused on the introduction of grouse moor licensing, which is yet another raft of legislation slowly curtailing the ability of land managers to effectively protect Scotland’s biodiversity and support rural livelihoods.

Land ownership underpins sporting rights, including the right to shoot grouse. Yet, within this Bill, we see proposals which potentially violate several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights.

BASC has worked tirelessly to lead the fight in the corridors of Holyrood to ensure that we get the best outcome for land managers and the shooting and conservation sector. This Bill poses a substantial risk to the viability of an already fragile rural economy, as well as public safety. On public safety and muirburn especially, we have grave concerns over how a licensing scheme and its overbearing powers will affect any future ability to mitigate large-scale wildfires, the risk of which is being heightened by climate change.

When it comes to muirburn – the practice of burning off old growth on a heather moor to encourage new growth for grazing – we are cognisant that licensing could unintentionally limit the ability of gamekeepers to tackle both the nature and climate crises effectively.

There is much to still learn about our uplands, and the Scottish Government needs to take a scientific approach to ensure that any proposals taken forward produce a net gain, and do not leave the uplands unprotected from wildfires.

Carbon sequestration is driven by peat formation, and this benefits from muirburn occurring every 10 years, especially with the development of sphagnum moss and other plant species which all drive peatland growth and restoration.

Biodiversity thrives in an upland mosaic landscape, such as Upper Donside and Deeside – a point recognised by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon MSP, when we organised an estate visit to the Angus Glens. Red grouse, lapwing, curlew, golden plover and other bird species flourish in this environment.

We have been unequivocal in our argument, that any new legislation, regulation or bureaucracy must not hamper Scotland’s existing world-class rural business sector, given its significant role in rural employment, tourism, conservation and moorland management.

The Bill is some distance away from being at all practical or workable for our members, land managers and gamekeepers. More than 1,000 BASC members recently wrote to the RAI Committee urging MSPs to make substantial amendments to the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill ahead of the vote.

BASC has repeatedly raised concerns over how grouse shoot, muirburn and trap licensing will work in practice and the Bill in its current form threatens more than just successful moorland management, but also farming practices, conservation efforts, hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds in economic value.

The direct and indirect benefits that arise from grouse shooting are too important to be risked in this manner. As such we, as Scotland’s largest shooting and conservation organisation, and our members have urged the MSPs on the committee to work with us and take on board the key facts and scientific-backed evidence that has been presented to them, to make the enormous yet vital changes to the Bill to avert the decimation of the rural economy, biodiversity and conservation.

Direct and indirect benefits of grouse shooting 'too important to be risked'.