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screen-shot from film on Lynx to Scotland website
Scotland’s biggest gamekeeping body, The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), and the country’s only dedicated voice for sheep producers, National Sheep Association (NSA) Scotland, have attended recent roadshows hosted in the Highlands by Lynx to Scotland.
The pro-Lynx campaign group, which supports a ‘carefully managed’ reintroduction, organised 42 public information sessions in the Highlands, with the final event held at Edinkillie Community Hall on 23rd February.
'Wary'
However, SGA and NSA Scotland members have become increasingly wary of promoters’ motives because forms given to attendees and the public contained no option to say ‘no’ to reintroduction.
During those events, the public were invited to watch a film and discuss potential reintroduction, with modelling estimating the Highlands could sustain 250 Eurasian Lynx.
Furthermore, difficult questions regarding wider impacts on agriculture, land management and rare species on the brink such as Capercaillie were not adequately explained.
Both organisations want to make the public and decision makers aware of omissions in the information, particularly the lack of ability for people to record their objection.
“Lynx to Scotland are perfectly within their right to promote their cause and lots of our respective members have engaged respectfully in the sessions.
“However, not being able to say ‘no’ is a glaring omission and the last thing we want to see in future is statistics saying x amount of people attending engagement sessions were in favour of Lynx reintroduction, when that can only ever be incomplete,” said Iain Hepburn of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association.
“Campaigners have already claimed previously that Scottish Government, when rejecting reintroduction, were ‘out of step with public opinion’.
“You cannot gauge public opinion when slanting things in only one particular direction and that is why this needs to be pointed out, publicly, now.”
The Lynx is a generalist predator and its diverse diet ranges from deer and sheep to birds, rodents, rabbits and mountain hares.
The SGA believe its reintroduction, today, is not compatible with urgent species conservation challenges.
“There are so many farmland and upland species now on the red list or declining and so much effort and money going into trying to save them.
“Reintroducing Lynx at this time would be attracting a whole new set of unnecessary problems,” added Mr Hepburn.
'Constructive'
NSA Scotland Policy Officer Faye Bryce said: “NSA Scotland is committed to constructive engagement in all discussions relating to biodiversity, land use and rural livelihoods.
“However, this consultation appeared heavily weighted towards the reintroduction of lynx without always addressing significant questions around livestock welfare and farmer welfare with stress and worry about their stock being potentially attacked by lynx.
“It offered limited space to record practical concerns or conditional views. In addition, it has not been clearly explained how these responses will be used, what influence they will have in any assessment process, or how they will feed into wider evidence gathering.
“We fully support the restoration of habitat, peatland and biodiversity across the country and farmers are essential partners in this progress. However, the introduction of an apex predator raises significant questions and risks. They deserve full and transparent consideration as discussions continue.”
