The correspondence comes on the back of the Petition raised by SGA Chairman Alex Hogg, MBE, asking that the Parliament recognises predator control as a conservation act, see:
In response to Petition PE 2035, Minister Jim Fairlie wrote to the Committee assuring that, “The Scottish Government agrees that predator control can be an important component of species conservation alongside other techniques such as habitat management and translocation.”
He also stated that Scottish Government recognised that people undertaking predator control ‘for the purpose of species conservation’ play a key role in addressing the biodiversity crisis.
It is now possible that the Committee, in its correspondence, will repeat the SGA Chairman’s wish that such a statement should be made formally in Parliament and be part of the Parliamentary record.
Nearly 2500 people supported the Petition which has now been closed by the Committee following its deliberations. The petition was lodged in the summer of 2023.
“This was an important issue to raise on behalf of our members who do so much every day to sustain wildlife. The thanks they get for this is minimal at times, especially compared to other conservation groups,” said Alex.
“I was pleased with some of the written response which was sent back from the Minister but, for the benefit of members, I think it is important for them to hear it in the Parliament itself.
“Hopefully that will come to pass. There is also a need to address payments for predator control.
“If we are to save some of our keystone species, we need more people in the countryside stepping up, not less.”
Giving evidence to the Committee, the SGA Chairman - a gamekeeper for over 40 years- memorably stated that he could not imagine a Spring where he could no longer hear the call of the Curlew.
