Charity says large-scale mountain hare killing is a routine part of grouse moor management in Scotland
The true extent of mountain hare slaughter in Scotland has been revealed for the first time.
Because the killing of the iconic animals is unmonitored and unregulated during the shooting season, the true number of those killed has never been clear.
Only estimates have been available – which put the number killed in the tens of thousands.
Now, however, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by The Ferret website has unearthed figures compiled for the Scottish Government by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) outlining a true figure for the annual slaughter.
The figures, published for the first time, and which go back to 1954, show that the average number killed fluctuates around by around 25,961 and reached as many as 37,681 in 2014.
In 2015, the most recent year for which an estimate is available, 26,952 mountain hares were killed.
The Scottish Government has published a joint statementwith the shooting industry promising “voluntary restraint” on large-scale culls.
However, footage ofmass slaughter on estates in the Highlands, released by animal welfare charity OneKind, suggests this is having little impact.
The documents released under FoI also show that in response to public concerns about mountain hare persecution in February 2017, the Scottish Government asked SNH for advice on possible regulation of mountain hare control.
As part of this exercise, SNH commissioned the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to provide analysis of the data collected from shooting estates.
This was presented to the Scottish Government in a paper that argued that the data suggested that evidence for a national decline in mountain hares is “not conclusive” and recommended that no regulatory action be taken.
Harry Huyton, director of OneKind, said: “This new data shows that large-scale mountain hare killing is a routine part of grouse moor management in Scotland, and Scottish Natural Heritage knows it.
“Scottish Natural Heritage should be leading the way when it comes to protecting wildlife, but instead it appears to be holding the Scottish Government back from taking action against unregulated mountain hare killing.”
Further evidence of significant mountain hare declines in North East Scotland was disregarded because it was “at odds” with the national trend, said OneKind.
Huyton added: “Evidence of significant declines in mountain hares in parts of Scotland is being disregarded, and voluntary solutions are being pursued when the evidence that this is not working is plain for all to see.
“Yes, our knowledge of how the mountain hare population is faring in Scotland is imperfect, but there is cause for concern and no evidence that large-scale culls are necessary in any way. The presumption should always be in favour of protecting native wildlife, not inaction.”
David Noble, chairman of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: “We know that mountain hares thrive on our managed heather moorland, and their number per hectare in this environment is up to 10 times greater than anywhere else in Europe, so the context of a reported 25,000 culled per annum represents around only 7% of the population, a very sustainable harvest.
“It is important to recognise that high bag numbers do not necessarily equate to a high proportion of the population killed, but typically are indicative of the level of abundance.
“The grouse moor community cannot – and does not – ignore public concerns about the culling of this charismatic species. What is required, and should parallel Scottish ministers’ review of grouse moor management in 2019, is a coordinated approach with counting and management of mountain hares at regional level to safeguard against the possibility of any threat to local populations.”
Eileen Stuart, head of policy and advice at SNH, urged estates to exercise restraint.
She said: “While there is currently no evidence of a national decline in mountain hares, the surveillance scheme we are starting this winter will give us a better understanding of the distribution and abundance of mountain hares across Scotland.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have been clear that we oppose any level of culling which threatens the conservation status of Scotland’s mountain hares and are discussing the evidence and next steps with land managers, as well as conservation and animal welfare organisations.”
