The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Scots hunt laws least strict
Report: Regulation tighter in Europe
Game bird hunting in Scotland is not as tightly regulated as it is many other European countries, a report has found.
The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) study compared regulations on hunting game birds in 14 different European countries.
They all regulate game bird hunting through legislation and use a system of licensing of individual hunters.
In many of the countries examined, hunters must pass a two-part exam to gain a hunting licence.
In Scotland, game birds can be shot during their open season, which vary according to the species.
Other than firearms legislation, there is very little regulation associated with hunting game birds.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “I welcome the publication of this report. It shows that there is more regulation of game bird hunting in many other countries than we have in Scotland.
“We will be looking very carefully at these different management approaches to see whether they offer the means to address issues such as raptor persecution.”
Research found the countries with the biggest problem with the illegal killing of birds included the UK.