ANIMAL welfare campaigners hit out angrily last night after the Scottish Government refused to ban snares.
Mike Russell, the environment minister, told MSPs ministers had decided to introduce tougher regulations on the use of snares but did not want to ban them outright.
He said: "I have come to the conclusion that snaring is still necessary in some ci
rcumstances. However, it is also clear to me that we can and must do better in terms of eliminating bad practice, for I believe it is bad practice – and sometimes criminally bad practice – which is responsible for some of the dreadful cases brought forward by animal rights organisations."
John Robins, of Animal Concern, said: "Getting politicians of whatever hue to do anything positive for animals is an impossible task, when MSPs are more interested in maintaining their vote than upsetting rural voters."
The Green MSP Robin Harper said the failure to ban snares would be met with "grave disappointment" by all those concerned for animal rights. "Snares are always indiscriminate in their operations, and anything other than a total ban is the wrong approach for Scotland's wildlife," he said.
Labour's Sarah Boyack said ministers had not listened to the "overwhelming majority" of people who had called for a complete ban.
Announcing the Scottish Government's position, Mr Russell said: "The public are rightly concerned about what happens to the wildlife that is part of all our heritage. They need to be absolutely confident that where snaring is necessary, there is no room for any doubt about what is allowed, that the practice is undertaken by competent and responsible individuals, that we have outlawed any practices which do not match up to welfare standards – and that we are vigorously enforcing that law."
He claimed the proposed measures would make a "fundamental" change to the practice of snaring in Scotland. "The package that we intend to bring forward will, I believe, make a significant difference in terms of animal welfare," he said.
Mr Russell told MSPs that, while there had been a campaign for snaring to be banned, others had argued it was a "regrettable but essential tool" in controlling predators such as foxes. He said those in favour of snaring claimed it was essential to maintain the land used for grouse and pheasant shoots, and pointed out shooting was worth an estimated £240 million a year to the Scottish economy.
He said farmers often had to rely on "efficient predator control" to protect the likes of lambs, while farmers and crofters might also have to protect crops from rabbits.
CONTROLSMEASURES to be introduced include a requirement for safety stops to prevent the noose closing too far and harming animals.
Snares will also need ID tags, so the authorities – but not the public – can identify their owner.
Setting a snare where it could cause unnecessary suffering will be banned.
And areas where snares are set will have to be clearly marked.
