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Scottish Natural Heritage is making the right noises about encouraging buzzard, sparrowhawk, pine marten and raven control. It has launched new guidance on licensing management and control of predators for conservation purposes.
It has been drawn up with the help of a range of conservation and land management groups in an effort to clarify how and when someone can apply for a licence to control predators in order to conserve wild birds. Licences can be sought to control any predatory species of bird or animal. However, those involved have indicated licences are most likely to be sought for the management or control of ravens, common buzzard, sparrowhawk and pine marten. Species information sheets have also been created to provide more information on these animals. Welcoming the new licensing guidance Ron Macdonald, SNH’s head of policy and advice, said: “SNH is pleased to announce the launch of this new guidance which has been drawn up with the help of many of our partners. SNH recognises that some predatory species can affect populations of wild birds. Where these are directly responsible for key declines in wild bird populations, and where there is a real conservation need to do so, we accept that predators may need to be managed or controlled under licence. “Predators are a vital component of any ecosystem. However in some cases, for example when a population of a rare wild bird species is already vulnerable or in decline, high levels of predation could be a real concern. “The law in relation to control and management of predators has not changed. The aim of this guidance is to make it clear to potential applicants the circumstances under which licences can be granted for conservation purposes, and what type of evidence is required to support this. “It is important to note that these licences can only be issued to protect wild birds. Licences to permit the control of predators to protect livestock, which includes, for example, pheasant poults in and around release pens, can be sought from the Scottish Government.” |
