Breaking news…..
Scottish Environment Minister Gillian Martin MSP has informed the Rural Affairs Committee that she intends to call for a full ban on ALL snares (including so-called ‘Humane Cable Restraints’) and will not endorse a licensing scheme for any purpose.
The Minister’s letter to the Committee (see below) comes after two recent evidence sessions as part of the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, which is currently at Stage 1 of its progression through the Scottish Parliament:
As I’ve written previously, the grouse shooting lobby has made last-ditch attempts to avoid a full ban and had recently proposed a licensing scheme (see here), which was discussed at length during yesterday’s evidence session (here).
I’m delighted that the Minister has seen through all the snorting entitlement on display yesterday and has put the welfare of wildlife at the centre of her proposal.
Let’s hope a full ban will also lead to the end of ‘stink pits‘ (also known as ‘middens’)- piles of rotting animal carcasses, encircled by snares, designed to attract more wildlife into a centralised kill zone.
Huge congratulations to the individuals and organisations who have campaigned so hard for this, over many, many years, especially Libby Anderson (Scottish Animal Welfare Commission), League Against Cruel Sports, OneKind, Scottish Badgers, Revive and the Scottish SPCA.
There’s no doubt that the Minister’s proposal will be challenged by snare-users as the Bill progresses but let’s hope that the view of the majority of MSPs is based in the 21st Century and not the 18th.
UPDATE 10th November 2023: Gamebird shooters furious at Minister’s proposed snare ban in Scotland (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
A bit of sense at last…of course snares are inhumane, indescriminate and have no place in a modern society.
Lots of other options at of which getting out your bed. Gone are the days of set and forget.
Wonderful news. I admit to being surprised as the Neanderthal Lobby threw everything but the kitchen sink into discussion at Holyrood the other day. Ross Ewing, in particular, gave everything he had and appeared to be the bandmaster for the rest.
Huge congratulations to all involved but the faster it is passed into law the better as those who hold the reigns in the Shooting Lobby never give up.
I’m happy that my pessimism didn’t take the day. :)
Excellent news. England next.
and now Crow Cage traps – equally unselective and destructive..
Well said Sgt.
Yes! Thankfully someone is taking this seriously
Well this has cheered me up no end.
I wish they would do something about how they classify species as pests and how this addressed via the licencing system. Natural systems need predators.
Wow, if this is true, wonderful news.
[Ed: it’s true! ]
I just hope any alternatives won’t be worse…
I think the likes of GWCT, SLA, SGA should (but they won’t) accept that time is up and put their energy into embracing further use of rifle / thermal vision tech and also developing genuine tech led alternatives such as new designs of cage traps with 4g cameras and live alerts when they catch, and utilise networks of trail cameras to ascertain numbers / monitor known fox holes / dens, and movements of foxes ie develop demographics & identify locations to be focussed on i.e. culled or not needed to be culled. This can all be done, and potentially developed into more of a science than this caveman wire-noose horror show ever was or could be. If it is more costly then so be it – that is only the actual cost of having humane ethical standards in genuine “wildlife management” – which must surely soon supersede old fashioned “keepering” in actions not just words. On that point – is a person who uses the term “vermin” (as I’m sure I heard the SGA representative keeper Conor Kelly use at least once in the debate) really a “wildlife manager” or forever a “proper keeper” who some people may like to call a “wildlife manager” when it suits a debate.
spaghnum morose,
You did hear SGA representative Conor Kelly use the term ‘vermin’. You might also have heard him describe how badgers (a supposedly protected, non-target species) can free themselves from snares, shortly before BASC representative Glynn Evans told the Committee that gamekeepers don’t set snares in areas where non-target species occur!
I have to say I’m happy I should say delirious because the suffering I have seen is unacceptable .As Dave says Crow Traps next
Does the term “snares” cover the traps shown in the cover and in the text of the League against Cruel Sports document?
[Ed: No]
Brilliant news. Thank you, Gillian Martin MSP.
Excellent!
Well done Scotland:-) Behind Wales, but ahead of England and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, the so-called Game & Wildlife Conservation trust *still* falsely claim that “In all parts of the UK, snares may be set to catch foxes, rabbits and brown hares…”
See https://www.gwct.org.uk/advisory/guides/fox-snaring-guidelines/legalities-of-snaring/#:~:text=Legitimate%20use,methods%20for%20controlling%20these%20species.)
They can’t bring themselves to accept change.
Am also absolutely delighted to hear this news, but also hope there is a means to ban the sale of these barbaric instruments
Remember when badger found dead in snare just 1/4 mile from outer Edinburgh police station-how to
you watch all the country
It’s fantastic news though and well done Gillian Martin for standing up to those with immense power who know how to intimidate, as so many of us have experienced
Thanks so much to all who have led campaigns for so long against such buccling thorny opposition
Caroline,
I don’t think there is a proposed measure to ban the sale of snares because it’d be unworkable/unenforceable. Snares can be homemade by anyone with a bit of wire and a stick.
Well done Gillian Martin fantastic news . I like that phrase snorting entitlement and those stink pits need to be made illegal we have them on a moor at nidderdale. This moor has the biggest persecution of birds of prey and wildlife in North Yorkshire. Well done to all the organisation’s involved.