New nature recovery plan treats moorland with ‘contempt’, says BASC
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has rebutted a plan by three Scottish charities which pedals radical political motives instead of following science when it comes to nature recovery.
The strong words come after the publication of a Nature Recovery Plan by RSPB Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and WWF Scotland which contains 11 transformative actions, including the licensing of driven grouse shooting.
The independent review into grouse moor management – known as the Werritty review – recommended a five year probationary period before a licensing decision is taken. The charities ignore this recommendation and assert that licensing should be introduced immediately.
Elsewhere in the report, there is a suggestion that upland breeding species such as golden plover, dunlin and curlew will benefit from licensing. The charities provide no evidence to back up this assertion.
Ross Ewing, BASC’s political and press officer in Scotland, said: “The publication of this plan is little more than a political ploy. The inclusion of grouse shoot licensing as a transformative action is frankly ludicrous when one considers the myriad of conservation benefits delivered on grouse moors, evidenced in a litany of peer-reviewed studies.
“These charities appear to be making recommendations on a whim to satisfy their own objectives, while simultaneously disregarding the fundamental importance of grouse management for wildlife, communities and individuals alike.
"The contempt with which these charities treat our moorlands and the people who live and work there is deeply concerning.”
