A full ban on the use of snares was passed by the Scottish Parliament in March 2024 as part of the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Act (here), although it wasn’t clear when the snare ban would actually begin.
This was a significant victory for animal welfare campaigners, especially the League Against Cruel Sports and OneKind, but also many others, who have spent decades putting forward evidence that these devices, cynically named ‘humane cable restraints’ by the game-shooting industry, are cruel, indiscriminate and inhumane and have no place in modern society.
Earlier this month, Green MSP Ariane Burgess lodged a parliamentary question asking the Scottish Government for clarity on the commencement date of the snare ban (see here).
Yesterday, Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie MSP provided a response and has stated that the snare ban is expected to come into force on 25 November 2024:
It appears from Jim Fairlie’s words that the ban will be immediate, with no ‘phasing-out’ period.
This is excellent news. Well done to everyone involved in this landmark legislation. That’s Wales and Scotland….England next?
Raptor Persecution UK 
well done Holyrood.
The wire cutters have already been purchased. This because our local Wildlife Crime Officer has a huge area to cover. After this date I will make a point of destroying any snare I find. Just a shame it’s taken this long to fix the date after the Bill was passed (24/03/24) and turned into an Act (01/05/24).
Beware, JJMARKLE, possession of an UNSET snare is not an offence so you might be charged for criminal damage if you interfere with it in any way. If you find a SET snare after 25 Nov 2024, rather than destroy it it’d be better if you reported it to Police Scotland and/or SSPCA.
how would any one prove it was an UNSET snare???
Having thought about how this might all play out, I think that getting out there and searching, and putting good photographs and maps in the hands of interested charities is the way forward. I hope that most keepers will give up snaring, but I know that some will not. If it is not going to be illegal to prepare (for example) lines of brash with empty snare paths through them in a wood, (or to “discard” piles of dead rabbits or pheasants in strategic places) and to have stakes ready in the ground on these snare paths…then (because that is the hard work done) it is a relatively short piece of work to attach 50 snares in an afternoon.
If you’re in a part of the country where few ramblers or nosey do-gooders (like us) get around, then you could pick a week or so here and there of foulest weather in winter when absolutely nobody is about, and set them and take your chances at getting caught or not. Then lift them all and repeat the tactic another time.
This is why I would say that there is plenty of scope for monitoring to be done by us concerned do-gooders in helping to get a test case or two in the courts. Snaring is not yet over, it’s just changed it’s legal status meaning that while many will sensibly desist (good), some others (how many, I don’t know) will choose to take the risks – the precedent being poletraps, hawk cage traps and poisons, all still used today.
It’d be in situ but the loop would be drawn shut so no animal could be caught.
but how could anyone prove that you destroyed an unset snare?
All snares will be banned upon that date. Set or unset. Is a “keeper” really going to take me to Court? I’ll take my chances. Thanks
Hi again, JJMARKLE,
You said, “All snares will be banned upon that date. Set or unset”.
No, that’s not accurate. The new legislation bans the USE of snares (i.e. ‘set’ snares) – it does not ban the possession of unset snares. So if you cause damage to an unset snare you could be open to prosecution for criminal damage. It won’t be the “keeper” who takes you to court, it’ll be Police Scotland and COPFS, probably after much encouragement from an influential land owner.
Obviously it’s up to you to take responsibility for your own actions, whether they be lawful or unlawful, but it’s probably wise to be fully informed before you do!
I genuinely believe that if you are a person who is willing and able to find them (note – the easy ones will likely disappear), the best plan is to inform the likes of SSPCA and/or OneKind with photos and maps, and to damage nothing. Doing this would potentially make the most of your time & efforts to find them in the first place. At least this is my philosophy – the battle isn’t against a wily keeper here and there who you may know is up to no good (they are just people in the job role at a given time) it is a battle against a whole landowner approved / land agent managed system that thinks it is above the law. Documenting wrongdoing is especially important if the estate concerned may hold a licence to shoot grouse, that may licence be up for renewal.
Its great news it wont stop the poachers but the gamekeepers will not be happy at all. Lets hope the English catch up soon but it wont be that soon . Despite promises to tighten up on the hunting with dogs act its still tally ho and unbridled cruelty to wildlife up and down the country with very little interest in enforcing the law shown by any of the authorities and the usual trouble taking place up and down the land Starmer and co. talk law and order but show no interest so far.Deer fox otter and hare ..in fact anything that pops up cruely slaughtered.
Congratulations to the Scottish parliament.
Now we need Westminster to follow suit; preferably sooner rather than later.
Hopefully it’s one of Mr Starmer’s Labour Animal Welfare Policies
I like walking, including moorland walking. I’ve never come across a wire snare but there are stoat and weasel traps plenty and these should also be banned.
Full credit to OneKind, National Anti/Snaring Campaign and the League Against Cruel Sports.
So did someone write legislation wherein the use of snares is illegal, but posession and deployment are not? Am I understanding this correctly?
Just what I was wondering, sog – why would anyone buy and put out a snare if they were not intending to defy the legislation?
I must be missing something.
I think it’s because you can make a snare from any old piece of wire, so unless possession of all wire/cabling is prohibited, which is a ridiculous proposition, it’d be impossible to enforce.
Thank you, I see.
“Question reference: S6W-29282
Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024
A complete ban on the use of snares, as provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, subject to parliamentary procedure, is expected to come into force on 25 November 2024.”
But why this delay (on the simple banning of snares)? Why could this ban not have come into force on 1st October, for example?
In fact, why could this ban have not come into force upon Royal Assent (30th April 2024)?
I can see no practical reason for these delays.
It is not as if any licenses are involved (and require drawing up and administering by third parties, for example), or any new training for third parties is involved, or a code of practise requiring drawing up is involved, or any delegation to any other third party is involved whatsoever.
All I see are another (unnecessary) six-and-a-half months of garroting and disemboweling by wire:-(
Section 35 of the Act states:
“Commencement
(1)This section and section 36 come into force on the day after Royal Assent.”
It could have stated:
“Commencement
(1)This section and sections 6 and 36 come into force on the day after Royal Assent.”
Job done. No?
ive found snares wandering about woodland they are off the beaten track and my friend who runs found snares along stone wall they are always set in same spots on animals regular routes xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx dog got caught in one once by front leg abhorrent they should not be allowed to be made or distributed a ban should mean a ban .
Good afternoon Ruth,
[Ed: thanks, David. For obvious reasons I’ve deleted your message. In answer to your question, yes, as far as I’m aware it is going ahead as planned]