Grouse moor management call

Trust supports RSPB's call for full licencing scheme for grouse moors without delay

In 2017 the John Muir Trust welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to commission an independent review of driven grouse management under the chairmanship of Alan Werritty, Professor Emeritus of Physical Geography at University of Dundee.

The independent review was commissioned after Scottish Natural Heritage reported that a third of all 140 satellite-tagged golden eagles had gone missing in suspicious circumstances in the previous 12 years.

This review has now been published and in the coming months the Scottish Government will need to decide what action to take. Unfortunately, the review did not deal with the proliferation of bulldozed hilltracks, much of which are closely related to grouse moor management and which can damage wild land, but it did propose some tightening up of regulation over muirburn, the use of medicated grit and the culling of mountain hares.

Its key recommendation, however, is to introduce a rigorous licensing scheme in five years’ time if there is no marked improvement in the populations of breeding golden eagles, hen harriers and peregrine falcons on and around grouse moors.

The John Muir Trust supports the RSPB’s call for the licensing of grouse moor management without delay, with the sanction to remove the right to shoot grouse when there is evidence of illegal activity, such as the killing of birds of prey.

Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and management for RSPB Scotland, said: “It is very important to remember that the background to this review was the overwhelming evidence base of the link between serious organised wildlife crime and grouse moor management; the ever-intensifying management of this land to produce excessive grouse bags leading to the killing of protected wildlife; as well as public concerns about huge culls of mountain hares; and burning of heather on deep peatland soils.

“Addressing these issues is now even more essential to combat both the climate emergency and nature crisis, which were confirmed as priorities by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year.”

Following the publication of the 'Werritty Review' in December 2019, the Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee heard evidence in January 2020 from three of the Grouse Moor Review Panel Group Members. We expect a Scottish government response to the review and evidence in Spring 2020.

Read the 'Werrity Review'.