Shooters slate 'emotional base' of calls for hare protection in Highlands
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Following latest media reports of calls for greater protection for the mountain hare during the shooting season, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation has criticised the reasoning behind them.
Ross Ewing, BASC’s political and press officer in Scotland, told the Strathy today (Thursday, August 6): “Calls for an immediate introduction of mountain hare protection are centred around publicity and emotion rather than science and environmental concerns."
He went on: “While the Scottish Green Party successfully dodged scrutiny in the stage 3 animal and wildlife bill debate, we support the Scottish Government’s decision to retain the open season until a workable licensing system is implemented.
"High density populations of hares are associated with well-managed moorland and, to prevent damage, it is important for land managers to have the ability to control them, just as they need to manage other herbivores such as deer.”
Mr Ewing added: “Already we have seen so-called ‘conservationists’ castigating the shooting community for apparently culling mountain hares in Inverness-shire.
"These claims – which have been pedalled by Chris Packham and one senior representative of the RSPB – have now been established as false, and are testament to the fact that certain individuals will do absolutely anything to further their own extremist agenda.”
The debate continues.
