Greens slam Scottish Government for glue trap delay as critical deadline looms
Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands region, Ariane Burgess, has condemned the Scottish Government for failing to communicate its plans to implement a ban on glue traps - with just days to go before a key regulatory hurdle is removed.
With the ban due to come into effect on 20th February, the Scottish Government has said it has still not communicated to stakeholders or industry its plans to bring the long-awaited ban into force.
The ban on the use, sale and possession of glue traps was secured through the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 - landmark legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament - yet almost two years on, the Scottish Government has not communicated with stakeholders how the ban will be implemented.
The Scottish Government required an exclusion under the UK Internal Market Act 2020 before it could ban the supply - not just the use - of glue traps. That exclusion regulation was made on 29 January 2026 and comes into effect on 20 February. Yet despite this ban being years in the making, the Government stated that it does not plan to communicate their plans to enforce the ban until after it has come into effect.
Ariane Burgess MSP said:
"This is yet another example of the Scottish Government dragging its feet on legislation that Parliament has debated, scrutinised and passed. The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act was a hard-won piece of legislation, and people and organisations across Scotland rightly expect it to be implemented with urgency and purpose.
"Glue traps are indiscriminate and cruel. They cause prolonged suffering to birds and other animals who become trapped and die slowly. That the Government cannot even tell us how many birds have been killed by glue traps tells its own story. This issue has not been given the attention it deserves.
"Two days before the final regulatory barrier is removed, the Government appears to have no clear communication plan in place for industry or stakeholders. That is not good enough. The Government must act without delay and set out clear, public information for bringing this ban into force."
The Act provides strong penalties for those who supply or offer for sale glue traps - including fines of up to £40,000 or five years' imprisonment – but it appears the Government has been caught napping, as their response to Ariane’s questions claim both that “these offences and associated penalties will be fully communicated to the sector and retailers ahead of a ban coming into force”, and that they “will be communicating to stakeholders and industry our plans to bring into force the ban on use, sale and possession of glue traps in Scotland once the regulations to implement the exclusion from the IMA have come in to effect.”
Glue traps - also known as sticky boards - are known to catch non-target species including wild birds, protected mammals and domestic animals, often resulting in prolonged suffering and death.
The Scottish Parliament passed the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 with cross-party support. The ban on glue traps was among its most significant animal welfare provisions.
Campaigners and MSPs are now urging the Scottish Government to honour the will of Parliament, properly communicate with stakeholders and bring the ban into force without further delay.