'Lynx can be a boon for local economies' – Highland MSP holds event in partnership with rewilding coalition

MSPs from all the major parties heard about an in-depth survey of communities in Argyll and Cairngorms National Park at a parliamentary event on Tuesday – revealing a wide range of views and a figure of 79 per cent not opposed to lynx reintroduction.

Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess hosted the event in partnership with the Lynx to Scotland coalition, where MSPs heard proposals to bring lynx back to Scotland as part of a ‘wildlife comeback’.

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Greens MSP Burgess said: "David Attenborough’s Wild Isles broadcast an unavoidable message: the UK’s nature is in trouble, but we can still save it if we act now. One key way to help nature is by reintroducing lynx, an apex predator that does not threaten humans but helps restore functioning ecosystems.

"Across mainland Europe, lynx are staging a comeback. Is Scotland going to sit back and miss out on the benefits that lynx can bring?

"As well as boosting our natural world, lynx can be a boon for local economies through increased tourism, reducing damage to farmers’ crops from smaller animals, and keeping deer numbers in check.

"Any trial introduction must work closely with rural communities, and I’m glad that this work has already started through the Lynx to Scotland focal groups in Argyll and Cairngorms National Park."

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