56 BBC Wildlife September 2020Bloggers,scientists and journalists from
allsideshavepulled apart both studies,
andtheconclusions differ depending on
theirsideofthefence. To delve into all the
intricaciesofthese arguments is beyond the
scopeofthisarticle. But if we look to the
WerrittyReview– a report commissioned
bytheScottishGovernment to collate the
availableevidenceon the ecological impacts
andbenefitsofgrouse moor management- thejuryis stillout. The review states
thattheevidenceis inconclusive and that
the“understanding of [hare] responses
toshootingis toopoor to impose direct
controlsonshooting of mountain hares
withanydegreeof certainty.” The report
suggestsmoredata on population responses
to culling pressures
are needed, as well as
information on the effects
of land-use change and
afforestation.
The latter is a less
discussed part of the
debate. There is evidence to suggest
mountain hares benefit from some of
the practices employed by gamekeepers- the control of predators such as foxes
and crows, which can predate on young
hares, for example, or the maintenance of
varied moorland habitat for grouse. Loss
of moorland to tree plantations is a voiced
concern among some, and was included as a
point of interest in both studies mentioned.
As Matt Cross, writer and
advocate for shooting, says,
“The habitat loss that goes
along with that is the biggest
impact on mountain hares,
but no one wants to talk
about that.”About the raptors...
You can’t talk about grouse
moors without also talking
about the illegal persecution
of raptors to protect grouse
chicks from predation.
This has been the focus of
impassioned campaigns and
forms the epicentre of the
debate across the UK. Much like mountain
hares, the evidence is hotly contested. Data
from the RSPB show that persecution is
an ongoing problem, with 87 confirmed
incidents in 2018 and the additional caveat
that, because of the difficulty in obtaining
enough robust evidence to identify and
prosecute these crimes, a large proportion
of cases are likely to go undetected. Though
shooting organisations have publicly“There is undoubtedly
very heavy culling, which
is not ethically
acceptable and it’s not
okay. But the biggest
problem I have is how the
regulations were brought
in. There was no debate,
no evidence, no scrutiny,
no opportunity for
consultation with
stakeholders – it’s just a
poor way to make a law.”Matt
CrossPOINTS OF VIEWJournalistand
field sports advocateStripsofheather are burnt to
createamosaic of habitat – a
constant supply of young shoots
alongside taller, leggier patches.
Mountain hares
are native to
the UK, unlike
the introduced
brown hare.Left to right: Mark Hamblin/rspb-images.com; John Eveson/FLPA; Getty