BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-09)

September 2020 BBC Wildlife 59

Anyavailable evidence is likely

tobecontested, inuenced not

bywhatthescience says, but by

individualviews and values.

ISLAHODGSONisa conservation

scientistandresearchfellowatthe

UniversityofStirling.

FIND OUT MORE

The Animals and Wildlife Bill: bit.ly/aw-bill

Lastly, any decisions – whether that be

the control of mountain hare culling or

the licensing of estates – will be politically

charged. The amendment that afforded

hares protected status was met with a

strong emotive response for reasons other

than conservation or disease prevention.

For one, it was viewed as the government

bowing to the increasingly powerful voices

of conservation groups and charities. There

was also no consultation or opportunity

for debate. Many will argue that, from the

standpoint of ongoing wildlife crime, estates

shouldn’t get to have a say. But, I know from

my own field that for long-term sustainable

change, who makes the decisions and how

they make them really matters.

becomes increasingly

important, the potential

negative impacts of

muirburn may become

more pressing.

Who knows best?

This all amounts to a

bigger question – does

driven grouse shooting

have a future? Certainly in

Scotland, it appears MSPs

are responding to lobbying

and viewing the sport

through a more critical lens.

Two cards are on the table –

licensing or a blanket ban.

The latter raises questions

about alternatives – could

tourism be economically

viable? Could estates be

re-wilded and reformed

as reserves and, if so, who

would buy them out? A

community-led effort to buy

Langholm Moor has been stalled by the

£6 million price tag, which, to some, has

been quite the reality check.

Increased regulation of grouse moor

management – or licensing – seems the

most likely route at present, the viability

of which was examined by Werritty’s

report. Many were hoping it would be

stronger in recommending that a licencing

system for estates should
be put in place, and were
dismayed that instead, the
review advised a five-year
“probationary period” to
further action. However,
there are some conclusions
that ring true.
The first is that there
are substantial gaps in the
knowledge in some of the
most critical arguments.
The second is that
the situation is highly
politicised. The ecological
and ethical quandaries are also entangled
within wider social, economic and cultural
conflicts. Any available evidence is likely
to be contested, influenced not by what the
science says, but by individual views, values
and experiences. Whether hard data can
hold up against a lifetime working the land
is an underlying trope in any debate about
Hen harrier: Scotland: The Big Picture/NPL; hare: Mark Hamblin/NPL land management.

Hen harriers have

been the cause of

great controversy

for decades.

“Driven grouse shooting

is finished. I write this on

the day the news broke

about yet another

illegally poisoned eagle

being discovered dead

on a grouse moor inside

the Cairngorms National

Park. This relentless,

blatant criminality has

not only characterised

this so-called ‘sport’ but

has also signalled its

demise. I’m not sorry

about that one bit but

I’m furious it has taken

so long to bring it to

this point.”

DrRuth

Tingay

POINTS OF VIEW

Conservationistandauthorof

blog Raptor Persecution UK