SGA progress leads to bird monitoring change

 

 

all images by Michael Callan

 

Following an awareness campaign by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, monitors operating under a Disturbance licence in Scotland will now have to inform estates/land managers of intended licensed monitoring activity on their ground.

 

The new licence condition has been applied by NatureScot, with the support of Ministers, and will take effect for this season and subsequent seasons.

 

The condition applies to the monitoring of Schedule 1 nests where a disturbance licence is required to undertake an activity which would otherwise be illegal.

 

It does not apply to general species monitoring, where no disturbance licence is required.

 

Campaign

 

The SGA campaigned at the time monitoring rules were first established that landowners/managers should be informed when licensed activity was taking place.

 

Instead of this being written into licence conditions, it was instead included as a best practice recommendation.

 

That recommendation has now been formalised as a licence condition and whilst the SGA had sought more - alerting MSPs to licensed activity which appeared to breach codes - the new condition represents progress.

 

The SGA argued that, with the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill now introducing grouse moor licensing to the statute book, land owners/managers required greater awareness of activity being undertaken by third parties on their ground.

The SGA now hopes the new arrangements, while falling short of what was sought, will begin to help foster better relations between monitors and land managers, where possible.

 

As an organisation, the SGA has offered assistance with contact details (where it has permission to do so), to be able to pass these on solely for the purpose of communication of intended licensed activity, if asked.

 

If you are a member and are happy to provide the SGA with a general email address which can be passed on for this sole purpose, please let us know by emailing info@scottishgamekeepers.co.uk

 

The wording of the new licence condition is as follows:

 

• The licence holder (or permit holder or agent, as appropriate) should notify the relevant landowner(s) or land manager(s), of planned licensed activity each year, including the expected timeframe of the activity and the likely number of visits planned.
• Where there is explicit agreement between the licence holder, permit holder, or agent and the landowner/ manager the notification can be extended unless there is a material change, such as change of ownership or licence holder.
• The notification must be in advance of any licensed activity.
• Where it is not reasonably practicable to notify the Landowner(s) or Land manager(s) of planned activity, the licence holder, permit holder, or agent must notify NatureScot and include the reason for not being able to contact the landowner/ land manager directly.
• Evidence of the notification to the landowner(s) or land manager(s) is to be made in a manner which can be provided to NatureScot if requested. 

 

You can find out more about the change, here: https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/protected-areas-and-species/licensing/licensing-news

 

If you spot monitoring activity which appears to breach licence conditions, contact NatureScot. Information on how to do this can be found when you click the link above.

 

We will update members further on what the change means for them, in due course.