Alison Calls For Review Of Snaring Law
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, today (5 July) called for the Scottish Government to conduct a robust and thorough review of the laws that govern snaring in Scotland.
Snares are wire noose traps used extensively across Scotland, mainly to catch foxes on shooting estates and farms to protect pheasants and grouse for commercial shoots. They are known to mutilate and kill animals that are caught in them, and 3 out of every 4 animals caught are unintended ‘bycatch’, including otters, hares, badgers and pet cats and dogs.
The last time the issue was debated in Parliament was 2011. Despite a hard fought campaign by the League Against Cruel Sports and OneKind, the Government voted to regulate the use of snares rather than making their sale, use and manufacture illegal in Scotland.
However, the Scottish Government is committed to reviewing snaring laws by the end of this year, and Alison is urging the government to ensure this review is robust and includes consideration of the impact snaring is having on animal welfare in Scotland.
Alison Johnstone MSP said:
“I am deeply concerned about the impact that widespread snaring is having on Scotland’s wild animals and even our pets. It is clear that snares can kill and maim foxes, dogs, cats, and any other animal unfortunate enough to get caught in them. I want to see the Scottish Government conducting a thorough, evidence based review of the laws that govern snaring that includes consideration of the welfare of these animals.”
Speaking on behalf of the League Against Cruel Sports-One Kind joint campaign, Jennifer Dunn said:
“We are delighted that Alison Johnstone MSP has called for a robust review of snaring in Scotland. We believe that this will inevitably lead to Scotland banning snares once and for all, as so many other EU countries have, thus ending the pain and suffering they cause.”