Shooting Times & Country – 07 August 2019

Scotland plans tougher

wildlife crime penalties

TheScottishgovernment
is consultingonproposals
tosignificantlyincreasethe
penaltiesforwildlifecrime
andtomakeit easierto
investigateandprosecute
thesecrimes.
Theproposalsinclude
a plantoincreasethenumber
ofwildlifeoffencesthatcanbe
triedinfrontofa jury.Trying
thesecrimesunder‘solemn
procedure’wouldallowthe
governmenttoincrease
thepenaltiestoa proposed
unlimitedfine and fi ve years
inprison.
Thisinturnwouldplace
a numberofwildlifeoffences
intothecategoryof‘serious
crime’,allowinga widerrange
ofpolicepowerstobeused
to investigate them.

Thepunishmentfor

someotheroffenceswould

beincreasedto 12 months

inprisonora £40,000fine.

Theproposedchanges

wouldalsoincludeincreasing

theamountoftimebefore

a prosecutionbecomes

‘time barred’.

Accordingtothe

consultation:“Byextending

thetimelimitweseekto

ensurethatPoliceScotland

havesufficienttimetocarry

outtheirinvestigationandto

gatherandanalysetherange

ofevidencerequiredtobring

forward proceedings.”

Waitrose bans lead shot game

Waitroseis tostopselling
gameshotwithlead.The
supermarketintendsto
completelyphaseoutlead
shotgamebythe2020-
game-shootingseason.
A spokesmansaid:
“Waitrose& Partners
is the largest retailer

ofgameintheUK,selling

a rangeofprepared

woodpigeon,partridge

andpheasantduringthe

appropriateseasons.

“Wearesuppliedby

a singlegamedealerwho

ensuresthatallthegamewe

source from leading British

shootsis rearedtothevery

higheststandards.

“Werigorouslymonitor

theshootswedealwith

andexpectthemtoadhere

toWaitrose’sbespoke

standardsofanimalwelfare

a n ds h o otb e h av i o u r.

“Inaddition,fromthe

2019 to 2020 season,wewill

beginphasingouttheuse

ofleadshotontheestates

fromwhichwesourcegame,

requiringinsteadthatthe

estatesrequiretheirGuns

touseleadalternatives

suchassteelorbismuth,”

Waitroseadded.

A spokesmanforBASC

said:“Asa marketleaderwe

welcomeWaitrose’sdecision

tostockandboosttheir wild

gamemeatrange.

“Anyincreaseinthe

availabilityofgameinthe

publicmarketis goodnews

fortheruralsector.

“Gameis a healthysource

ofprotein,is growingin

popularityandwerecognise

Waitrose’s decision.”

Police Scotland is planning tougher penalties for wildlife crimes

Waitrose will stop selling game shot with lead from next season

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 9

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Email your stories / [email protected]

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