04 January 2013

A guiding light in wildlife management

An essential up-to-date guide created specifically for land managers dealing with snaring is now available.

The Snaring in Scotland – a practitioners’ guide has been updated to ensure the reader is fully up to speed with the requirements now in place for anyone who is using snaring as a means of wildlife management.

The comprehensive guide - which has been endorsed by Scottish Government, SNH and Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park - amongst others, provides advice on using snaring methods that are humane, legal and carried out in accordance with best practice, current legislation and with respect for other countryside users.

Fox and rabbit control in Scotland is necessary to ensure that damage to crops, livestock, trees, game and other wildlife and their habitats can be reduced to acceptable levels to maintain Scotland’s unique rural biodiversity. Snaring is a vital tool to achieve these ends in Scotland due to diverse landscape and types of cover.

“Snaring is subject to many legal restrictions,” said Hugo Straker, senior advisor with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – a co-author of the guide with British Association for Shooting and Conservation and Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association.

“When conducted in accordance with this practitioner’s guide, snaring is an effective and humane form of control but practitioners must now also ensure they are fully trained and are in possession of a current certificate and a unique ID number to allow them to continue snaring.”

Copies of the new leaflet are available from GWCT (tel: 01738 551511, email: ijohnston@gwct.org.uk) BASC, SGA and Scottish Land and Estates. For further details on the mandatory snaring training, please contact GWCT.

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Notes to editors

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is an independent wildlife conservation charity which carries out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ 22 post-doctoral scientists and 50 other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. The Trust is also responsible for a number of Government Biodiversity Action Plan species and is lead partner for grey partridge and joint lead partner for brown hare and black grouse.

For information, contact:

Playfair Walker
Telephone: 0131 445 5570
Email: richard@playfairwalker.com