Scottish grouse licensing system opens today
NatureScot has opened its new system for grouse shoot licence applications from today, 15 July.
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BASC has urged all MSPs to vote down the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill in a debate taking place tomorrow, 30 November, in the Scottish Parliament.
MSPs will be debating Stage 1 of the bill following publication of the Rural Affairs and Islands (RAI) Committee’s report on the proposed legislation. The committee’s report makes recommendations to the Scottish Government on a number of aspects of the Bill, which are:
Vote down the Bill
BASC remains opposed to the implementation of grouse shoot licences, muirburn licences and licences for certain traps.
In light of the committee’s report, BASC is asking MSPs to vote down the Bill, given our significant concerns over workability and infringement of basic rights within the European Convention on Human Rights.
If the Bill does pass at Stage 1, BASC has called for the following key amendments through extensive lobbying of MSPs:
BASC Scotland director Peter Clark said: “The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill is some distance away from being at all practical or workable for our members, land managers and gamekeepers.
“BASC has continually voiced our concerns about how grouse shooting, muirburn and trap licensing will work in practice.
“This Bill, in its current form, 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.
“We ask MSPs to vote down the Bill to ensure the Scottish Government goes back to the drawing board and reconsiders the range of evidence presented by rural stakeholders.
“As Scotland’s largest shooting and conservation organisation, we will continue to present the facts and evidence to MSPs in the months ahead as to why this Bill is fundamentally flawed.”
NatureScot has opened its new system for grouse shoot licence applications from today, 15 July.
The leaflet aims to highlight the support that is available to certificate holders and encourages those who need help to seek it.
The Capercaillie Emergency Plan, which aims to reverse the fortunes of the iconic Scottish bird, has been launched in Scotland.
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If you have any questions or complaints about your BASC membership insurance cover, please email us. More information about resolving complaints can be found on the FCA website or on the EU ODR platform.
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