2026 promises to be another big year.
The Natural Environment Bill will conclude before the Parliament prepares for the Scottish elections in May.
With this in our sights, we are already working on amendments at Stage 3 and will update members in due course.
As ever, we are seeking to build support for policies that will help protect members’ jobs and sport.
2025 in review
As we head into the fray, it is important to recap on what was achieved, with your support, in 2025.
Of course, not all changes were positive.
Despite being the only organisation to oppose a full lead shot ban, and producing key evidence to support exemptions to a full ban (click here: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2025-02-20-public-safety-fears-over-copper-bullet-switch.php respective UK governments decided to impose a widespread restriction, which will come into being in 2029.
Firearms remain high on the agenda, heading into this New Year and, with our help, the petition against merging section 1 and 2 regulations on firearms licences has reached over 100 000 signatures, making it a requirement that the UK Government considers a Westminster debate on this key issue, click: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750236
Important wins
In 2025 we campaigned successfully, with your help, in a number of strategically important areas.
We got the female deer season change kicked out, click: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2025-01-28-sga-campaign-sees-female-deer-seasons-retained.php
We achieved key changes to bird monitoring rules, click: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2025-04-03-sga-progress-leads-to-bird-monitoring-change.php
Our Training Centre passed a key milestone, training over 2000 people in 5 years, click: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2025-09-05-sga-trains-2000-people-in-5-years.php
We told Government marine officials that changes were now required to seal licensing processes, given the worrying change in conservation status of the wild Atlantic salmon; a topic we will return to again in 2026, click: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2025-03-28-does-seal-licensing-reflect-salmon-urgency.php
And our advocacy for low ground game shooting led to changes which could have seen gamebird releasing licensed in Scotland being kicked out of the Natural Environment Bill.
New year, new faces
Finally, the heroic work of our members at Dava- and our campaign work in the aftermath, was vital in seeing Scottish Government delay the implementation of the new Muirburn Licensing scheme and we are fully focused on this key issue, as 2026 begins, click https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2025-10-09-gamekeepers-welcome-muirburn-restrictions-delay.php
The SGA goes into the New Year with a new-look Committee which has enabled 8 new youth members to step up from the SGA Youth Committee.
We are continuing to set the agenda on your behalf.
If you would like to support the work and the campaigns of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, you can now donate through our Website. Go to https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/donate/
