‘Wildlife Estates Scotland’ Initiative – pilot launched

The new ‘Wildlife Estates Scotland’ pilot initiative has been launched. According to the publicity blurb, “The Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) Initiative aims to introduce an objective and transparent system that demonstrates how wildlife management undertaken by Scottish landowners, in line with the principles of biodiversity conservation, can deliver multiple benefits for society and rural communities“.

The WES idea first came to light late last year. Coincidentally, at the same time as MSP Peter Peacock was advocating the introduction of a new estate licensing scheme to combat the persistent persecution of raptors on some Scottish sporting estates. Naturally, landowners objected furiously to any sort of compulsory estate licensing, and instead they argued that the new WES scheme would allow them to demonstrate how effective they could be at voluntary self regulation (Yeah, I know!!). The then Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham decided to give them one last chance and she rejected Peacock’s proposal in favour of the proposed WES.

Several months later, the pilot WES scheme has been launched, supported by the new Environment Minister MSP Stewart Stevenson. In a press release we are told that “over 200 farms and estates have signed up to the WES initiative“. However, the full membership list detailing the names of the ‘over 200 farms and estates’ has not yet been made available for public scrutiny. I’m sure though, that in their new era of “transparency”, this oversight will be rectified in the near future and we can then draw our own conclusions about the integrity of this initiative.

The good news is that RSPB Scotland are involved – their Abernethy site is one of the first six to be named as a WES pilot scheme member (a very safe bet that no wildlife crime takes place here!), and they are also apparently a member of the WES Steering Committee. Hopefully with their influence, the 200+ WES members will embrace ALL of Scotland’s biodiversity, including raptors and other predators. Time will tell.

Find out more about the WES on their website here and some more here