Tim Bonner: Threat of bans on hunting and shooting grows

On Tuesday the Scottish Parliament debated the principles of the new Hunting Bill. The session only reinforced the utter pointlessness of the whole process and should stand as a warning to those promoting legislation to attack wildlife management practices whether in Holyrood, Westminster or elsewhere. The current Scottish hunting debate has been limping on for a staggering seven years since Nicola Sturgeon announced a review of the current legislation for no other reason than to get herself out of a political hole. In the debate Labour and the Greens displayed their expected prejudice ignoring even the Government's independent review and opposing the licensing of the use of packs of dogs for fox control. The Minister, Mairi McAllan, defended her Bill, but remained non-committal on those areas of the Bill where we are seeking amendments to make the law practical and workable. Rachael Hamilton for the Conservatives warned the Minister that if the licensing scheme did not allow effective fox control she would be remembered as the Minister who lost the capercaillie and curlew and the whole non-event concluded with a vote which means the Bill now goes forward for line by line consideration and potential amendments. Nothing that has happened changes the Alliance's position that this Bill is completely unnecessary and a waste of valuable legislative time that could have been put to a thousand better uses. If the Scottish Government is determined to push forward, however, the licensing scheme must be workable because, as the author of the Government's review, Lord Bonomy, has said the Bill is only viable because of that licensing provision. As if hunting legislation was not enough the next Bill on the Scottish Government's agenda will license grouse shooting.

The current political volatility in Westminster unfortunately makes it more likely that we may see similar attempts to legislate further on hunting, game shooting and wildlife management in England and Wales. The odds on a Labour-led government in 2024 have tumbled over recent months and Labour entered the last election with manifesto commitments to strengthen the Hunting Act, consult on banning grouse shooting and to restrict game farming. None of these commitments will bring votes to the party, help reverse bio-diversity decline or have anything other than a negative impact on the rural economy, but as in Scotland that will not stop politicians listening to the siren song of single issue campaign groups. The Alliance will always fight the political battle, but it also needs every part of the rural community to take responsibility for its own actions and provide the minimum possible justification for legislation and regulation. Hunting needs clear standards, credible regulation and to tackle the perception that not all hunting activity is legitimate. Shooting needs to continue the drive towards widespread self-regulation, reduce even further incidents of raptor persecution and to weed out those elements who bring shooting into disrepute. If the experience of Scotland combined with general election polling has not convinced everyone involved in hunting, shooting and wildlife management of the reality of the political threat then they are not paying enough attention.

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