It takes more than two

THE Scottish Government’s move to tighten hunting laws has been met with disappointment and anger on both sides of the argument. Pro-hunting campaigners are perplexed that new proposals ignore two key findings of the government’s own review of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, published in 2016. This concluded that using a pack of hounds to flush foxes to a gun remained ‘a significant pest-control measure’ and that reducing the number of hounds would be less effective. The Scottish Greens, the SNP’S partners in government, condemn the proposed measures as ‘tinkering around the edges’ and will only support the bill if it delivers an outright ban.

Current laws on hunting in Scotland dictate that a pack of hounds can be used to flush a fox to a gun. The new Hunting with Dogs bill, which was introduced to parliament on February 24, will limit the number of hounds to only two, with an option to apply for a two-week licence to use more where two hounds are not sufficient, such as large areas of forestry.

The Scottish Countryside Alliance (SCA) has condemned the new proposals as ‘an unnecessary and unjustified attack on rural Scotland’. SCA director Jake Swindells expects the bill to be finalised by December this year and in effect by February 2023. In the meantime, the SCA will be working alongside other rural organisations to propose amendments to make the measures workable for farmers and land managers. ‘Firstly, we need to challenge the reduction to two hounds—this proposal is actually detrimental to the welfare of the fox. We will also campaign for a revision to the licensing system to a permanent licence or one that is more in line with the two-year conservation licence proposal.’

The SCA is urging people in Scotland to contact their MSP directly, by visiting www. countryside-alliance.org/ takeaction Tessa Waugh