By the start of 2013, it will be law for those who require to set snares (rabbit and fox) to have undergone a snare training course. Passing the course will allow holders to produce a certificate to the Police in order to receive a unique registration number. This number must then be attached to the holder’s snares.
Setting snares without doing this course will be a criminal offence.
The SGA is urging its members, and any other interested parties, to contact the SGA office on 01738 587515 or email info@scottishgamekeepers.co.uk to register for one of our courses.
Once a suitable number of interested individuals have registered in an area, a course will be implemented.
We intend to hold these courses in areas local to our members, thus reducing travel arrangements over large distances.
If anyone has a suitable venue in their area that could be used to hold a course we would like to know as soon as possible.
Further to this, the SGA would like to remind members of the current laws as regards snaring.
- All snares must be free running and fitted with stops.
- All snares must be checked within a 24 hour period- at least once every day- and all captures must be removed at that time.
- The welfare of animals caught in snares is paramount. For this reason, snares must be set only in areas where entanglement, strangulation or drowning cannot occur.
- The use of drags is now against the law. All snares must be fixed in a manner in which the snare cannot be moved by the animal in it.
- Avoid setting snares in locations regularly used by badgers or other Schedule 5 animals.
- Written records must be kept on the locations, time set, catches and releases of all species involved.
Finally, remember to ensure you comply with the law by booking in for a snare training course in order to receive your registration number.