Thousands of licenses issued to kill breeding hares
A Scottish Government agency has licensed landowners to kill thousands of brown hares annually during the breeding season, according to figures revealed by Green MSP Alison Johnstone.
Information released by Scottish Natural Heritage shows a sharp rise in the number of brown hares licensed to be shot during the close season. Since 2012, SNH has granted licenses to kill around 7,000 brown hares across Scotland.
Alison Johnstone MSP said:
“This is yet another example of how large-scale killing of wildlife has become routine, with little more than a timid nod from Scottish Natural Heritage, the regulator who's meant to protect our environment.
“It’s disappointing to see this significant increase in the number of hares killed during the breeding season. There are serious welfare concerns here, and Scottish Natural Heritage should investigate this increase immediately, whilst developing and promoting non-lethal methods of minimising any damage that hares might do to new woodlands.”
“Hare killing is part of a bigger, systematic problem with wildlife protection in Scotland. Our laws and enforcement are weak, and widespread killing is permitted in secret. Whether it's brown hares, mountain hares or foxes, the Government has allowed a culture of persecution to thrive when it should be protecting our natural heritage and working with others to develop alternatives to killing . The Greens are determined to challenge this and I will bring forward a proposal to introduce proper protections for wild mammals imminently.”