The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) has submitted supplementary evidence to the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee on the issue of snaring, as a follow up to last week’s evidence session as the Committee prepares its Stage 1 report on the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill.
The SAWC has provided this supplementary evidence because it wasn’t given the opportunity to challenge various claims that were made during last week’s evidence session, particularly the oft-repeated statement that so-called ‘humane cable restraints’ (just a re-branded snare) meet the required standards of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) for restraining traps.
The SAWC points out that this claim isn’t supported because ‘foxes are not one of the species covered by the AIHTS’ but even if they were, the AIHTS for restraining traps are ‘considered to be low and have been widely criticised by wildlife biologists, conservationists and animal welfare organisations’.
The SAWC’s supplementary evidence can be read here:
Now you might think that this supplementary evidence is redundant given that Environment Minister Gillian Martin MSP has since announced her intention to push forward with a complete ban on all snares, but the proposed ban is still a long way from the statute book.
Besides, the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee should have ALL the available evidence in front of it as it prepares its Stage 1 report, although I can’t imagine anyone is expecting an especially supportive Stage 1 report given the Committee is dominated by several MSPs whose obvious disdain for the proposed Bill has been only too apparent over recent months. Indeed, it is chaired by Conservative MSP Finlay Carson who in May this year reportedly told a GWCT-hosted grouse symposium that the Bill amounts to “unnecessary legislation“, and that was before he’d even heard the evidence he was responsible for scrutinising!
It’s clear from media reports that the grouse-shooting lobby intends to challenge the proposed snare ban as the Bill reaches the Scottish Parliament for debate at stage 2 and I dare say that various MSPs have already been briefed on amendments they could make.
For this reason, the SAWC’s supplementary evidence will be crucial to challenge the predicted line that ‘humane cable restraints’ meet international welfare standards.
The stage 1 debate for this Bill is scheduled for 29 November 2023. This debate (by the whole Parliament) is simply to decide whether the general principles of the Bill should be accepted and progressed. Stage 2 is when proposed changes (amendments) can be made and that’s when the debate will heat up.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Well done to the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and Libby Anderson.
That photo is so upsetting to look at. I know these laws aren’t based on emotional responses but the evidence does show they should be banned
Indeed. Snares have no place in a civilised society: they are relics from a barbaric age.
I totally support your cause – I wish you would report it in a more accesible format – white on black text is aggressively unaccessible to many people
Learn how to change the text and background colours of your screen…
Full marks to the SAWC for putting their evidence forward in this format. Their obvious knowledge of the various aspects of snare utility – both theoretical and practical – will, hopefully, assist the Bill’s passage through the forthcoming legal processes. In particular it should clarify the barbarity of snares to those parties involved in the process who have no, or little, knowledge of the horrendous suffering that these devices may cause and who might otherwise have been hood-winked into believing that HCRs represent a significantly improved and acceptable form of restraint. Well done Libby.
Upsetting photo but well done to all involved these are barbaric and as previously said have no place in civilised society.