Licensing system allowing the killing of wild birds is 'not fit for purpose' says RSPB
Under the current system landowners do not need to apply for a licence to lethally control birds such as crows, jackdaws, and rooks.
The licencing system allowing people to kill wild birds in Scotland is not fit for purpose, according to RSPB Scotland.
General Licences allow people to carry out activities that would otherwise be illegal, such as controlling certain bird species to prevent serious damage to livestock and crops or to protect other wildlife.
However, under the current system landowners do not need to apply for a licence to lethally control birds such as crows, jackdaws, and rooks.
NatureScot state that the licence must be used appropriately and abide by animal welfare requirements but the RSPB say there is no process by which usage of these licences is routinely monitored or reported.
They are now urging those with concerns to take part in a consultation on the licences.
Ian Thomson, Investigations Manager for RSPB Scotland, said: “We recognise that the licenced control of some species may be appropriate in certain evidence-based circumstances.
“Yet the killing of otherwise protected species needs to be backed up by a system of compliance monitoring, submission of licence returns, and publication by NatureScot of summarised results on an annual basis – as the RSPB does for its own landholdings.
"We currently have no idea how many wild birds are killed under General Licence in Scotland every year."
NatureScot is currently holding a consultation on General Licences, which could see changes to how the current system functions.
At present, NatureScot does not record who uses these licences, to what extent they are used or why, nor does it record where in Scotland they are utilised.
The RSPB say the unaccountability within this system has repeatedly been abused and they point to the recent case of a Perthshire gamekeeper who beat a Goshawk to death after pulling it from a crow trap, which was being used under the General Licence.
“This consultation gives us a chance to ask whether a system that permits the unrestricted, unmonitored, and unregulated killing of protected species should continue,” added Mr Thomson.
“The proposals in this consultation currently perpetuate a system that is out-dated, unaccountable and not fit for purpose.
“Multiple police investigations and successful prosecutions show how this system is widely misused and abused to the detriment of protected species, including birds of prey.
“In order to fully protect Scotland’s incredible wildlife, we need a licencing system which is up to standard.”
The closing date for NatureScot’s consultation on General Licences is August 31.
A NatureScot spokesperson said: "Since 2011, NatureScot has been responsible for nearly all species licensing in Scotland. This includes 16 General Licences that allow people to carry out certain actions affecting birds and mammals that would otherwise be illegal, without the need for individual licences.
“As the last formal assessment of these licences took place in 2019, this year we are carrying out a review. Working with our expert ornithologists and mammal advisors, we will be evaluating all the General Licences and considering any changes that may need to be made, for example creating or removing any licence or changing the species included.
“Alongside this, we will be taking a broader and longer-term look at general licensing as a whole, reviewing the overall principles and suitability of these licenses, as well as how they may be used in the future. We anticipate that this review will be carried out over several years, with plenty of opportunity for stakeholders to feed into this process.”
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