Living with Lice ns ing –
Th e P ractitione rs ’ Vie w
MrOdy A a S it
a k d & dm mh
J iclt ie C m it e e inr
u iaS d s o mt Sm a
d u e
2 J e 02
5u 21
n

Th e Law and C ons e rvation: P rote ction
Protecting nature from the hand of man
Y u ut o...
o msnt
.
C p r h ©20 S raC b A R hsR sre
o yig t 0 5 ier lu . ll ig t e ev d
J n u ( 88 11)
o Mir13 – 94
h
1970s were about protecting resources
A rin nifa nle pb acs
g t s t , it r ul ces
i- e ic io t , ic
N t e ee e wr t wyowr
a r R sr s e h a f a
u v e e r d

P rote cting S p e cie s
• Pre 1979
– Seie mngmn adea
pc s aae etn l l
g
o nr ip
we h
s
• 1979 onwards:
– S ro t ‘Eoy e apoc’
t t fh cs t prah
a e sm
– FvualC ne a n tu
aor e osr t S t
b v io a s
• P plio sedt u nt n,
o u tn iz, isibt , r d
a r io e
f udy
e nit
c
– Mngmn b ee p ned go
aae et y xmt l in t
io a
ao a s L p st id s
nml ... e u im u
ie

C ap tu re d in Law
• Enshrined in law
– B d ad ait D ete
irs n H ba ir ivs
t c
– W d e C ut s e c18
ilif& on y A t 91
l r id
– A a edd ( )
s mne... 7
• D elivery
– Ml lin rr a n
uip t pe t s
t e e tio
– S H P l , FclSe f
N , o e is s hrs
ic a, if
– P l ainu
o icl pt
it ...
• H ow did we get here...

S o d oe s p rote ction work?
Bu zzard s
1988 2002
( oin 20)
H l g 03
l
A des rp e
nr Tet
a k

Th e M ou ntain H are anom aly?
Scottish population often
10x higher than anywhere
else on globe because of
management not in spite
of...
Alpine Mountain Hare
Global range of the Mountain Hare: IUCN data

M am m als
Bre e d ing p op u lation e s tim ate s
(U K)
Badger 250,000
Fox 240,000

Bad ge rs at Langh olm
• L aw:
• Msnte sa s hr ‘l l t
ut o stnr we ik y o
e e e’
ct bde
a h agr
c s
• G uidance:
• Awy l ko sn o bde atit
las o f igs fagrc y
o r iv ,
sc a wl on a s agrr k
uh s e wr pt , bde t cs
l h a
ad or g y as it b c ts
n ca e r hirwh lkip.
s e a
D nte sa s t viny f
o o stnr in h ic ito
e e
bde st o nat ir ug it in
agre s r erh “dn ps
t e ”,
hl t og o udrecle,
o sh uh r ne f e s
e r n in
gt as r egs l r ue b
a wy o hde c ay sd y
e el
bdes
agr .
• Bt c o l acry n oe
u lk f gllitad vr
a e a
poetned goa
rt io l in t no-risk
c a
apoc
prah

Im p acts on P re y: rare r p re d ators

P re d ators in Favou rab le S tatu s

Ad d re s s ing th e P rob le m
• N ow: W ork with an outdated System
– U e eabspate
s Lglet r ic c
• ( k Stf trAt nte)
aa a a oy lra s
isc e iv
– G t r ro
a e Po f
h
• Bspate n ur o e po l s
et r ic ad ne l d rb m
c sv e
– G t L es
e a icne
• Future:
– ‘S a ’ ue fy e
mr s o s t
t sm
– Lw e r
a Rf mo

S atis factory Alte rnative s
• The Basics
– H ba D es, Pea n
ait, isa r t
t e d io
– Scn o in n ave
eod p io - dic
• G uidance is patchy RP Iae
SBmgs
– OpnLms
e: a b
– D t e: Pes t
e il ha n
ad as
• N ovel approaches used to delay

N ot s h ooting: a s atis factory alte rnative ?
N o!
• C ne a n cl y
osr t Eo g
v io o
– C r spoto mr s
oe up rf a inr g
– W d ir cn e nacd y
ilbd a b ehne b
l
po utn f so t lsrl
rdc o a hoa e up s
io b u
• Lgl
ea ly
– Atl2 f irs ir te oe
r e o B d D e iv m r
ic c
imot tht r l9
p r n t At e
a a ic
– W A18 d e nt r ethoin
C 91 os o pe n so tg
v
ad osr tnrm vrpin
n cne a f oeap g
v io o l

Lice ns ing wh e n b e s t p ractice fails
• W d e N t aEvomn A tSol d 21
ilif& a r nirn et c( ctn) 01
l ul a
• Soth a r H rae o woyep nib
ct N t a eit nw hl rsos l
is ul g l e
• W hu ae fr e my e o mt :
it t riec s a b cm it d
o l im e
5.W pb a cne n ilifCim
e ul l odm W d e r e
icl
y l
6.W se t udrad h c e a cm it d
e eko ne t wy r s r o mt
sn im e e
7.W h ne t d g o e eete eo tn
it udra in cms fc r lio
sn f iv s u
• L esg a poid udrad g n r o tn
icnin cn rv e nes nin ad e lio
t su
• T e msb aesnb epc tn hth drgtnrm h l
hr ut e r oal xetio t t eoa f t a
e a e a a e io o e w
wlrv e h r eyht bin suh
il oid t e d t is e g ogt
p e m a .
• S... eidne fed
o v ec o ne

E vid e nce 1 : C ons e rvation S tatu s
• A licence when:
– Pea r go s t , pe lso
r t in o d tu r e s...
do as y s
– Ma r a S t , t n, p plio
es e r tu r d o u tn
u s e as e a
se
iz
– Lgl antnl vlbt N wn
ea t a al e u S H at
ly io e s
l al e
o l vl
c e s
– Ioa N t aH rae oe a is
f cl a r e g Z n dt
l u l it a
ntvil l
o aa b ?
ae
– Pat nrmc clcithme e
r it e uh oet t sl s
c io s l e v

E vid e nce 2: S e riou s d am age
• L etc ( etn 6 W d e n C ut se c18)
ivs kSc 1k ilifad onr id A t 91
o io l y
– Lms
ab A y of e aak rtcs
n cn md tc o aak
ir t t
– Fh
is Po ail o aak
rbbit ftc
y t
• W d n a ( etn 6cW d e n C ut se c18)
ilA iml Sc 1( ) ilifad onr id A t 91
s io l y
– Slo: D pns n tu wh a etlwd
a n eed o s t it hr sa e
m as v l o
– W dgm) irs eed o s t , bt a et o a wd
il a e d: D pns n tu u hr sntl e!
( b as v l
o

E vid nce 3:
W ill removing the predator solve the problem?
Pine Marten or Fox Cat or Wildcat
Shoot or not shoot?

E vid e nce gath e ring
• P plio Sr y
o u tn uv s
a e
– P ne
l nd
a
– Opot is -C b a s
p r nt a cr
u ic d
• Ipc
mat s
– Poo
hts
– Cr s s
a ae
cs
• R crs
eod
– Ete fe
s t Of
a ic

Le gal 4: Ap p lication
The most likely spp to see
• Scottish N atural H eritage licensed control:
– Lms ol, Sloid
a b, P us a n s
t m Ravens
– M ut H r
on in a s
a e Buzzards
Sawbills
– W dr G e PrideG os
ae , ry a rg, rue
s t Sparrowhaw
• C nis n ad imlr p ne
ost tn T e e oss
e y s ks Pine
– L ecsa b is e f 2 Martens
icne cn e s do u r
ya
er s

C an it work?
• Spey, C onon, N ess, Beauly
– T oog M noin Ss m
hruh oitrg y e t
• Swilad a o
a bl n Sl n
s m
– Pio R sa h hw t e y a bl
r r eer so sa b Swil
c k s

C an it work?

S u m m ary
• F sa d r t nrf in cag g r a rn
r t t pa it e a g hnin pe t ad
u re c io s c do
pe p plios
r o u tn
y a
• P plios rt t b 3 yao l s
o u tn poe e y 0 er l a
a cd dw
• As woey o icl esg rcs
l , vr p l al nin poes
o l it ic
• T o fn l akin r us
o o e ilglil ge l
t e l st
• W anw
ht o

Im p roving b iod ive rs ity: Simplify the law
• C no a eis g ilifl .
osl t xt wd ea
id e in l w
• N weistn hu b ‘ealgad
e l lio sol e nb ’ n
ga d in
ecuae ilifmngmn T e
nor wd e aae et h
g l .
A iml ea A t20)m dl
n aW lr c( 06 o e
fe .
• Bt r ilifpoetncn r in t
e e wd e rt io, of m go
t l c o
E D ete ad eu tn.
U ir ivs n R glios
c a
A des rp e
nr Tet
a k
“H w ay e hr ra eog?
o mn hn a ie r nuh
rse ”
M e uslSoth int f Evomn 20- 9
ik R s l ct M is ro nirn et 060
e, is e r

Th e P re ve nting D e cline Is s u e
• C onservation should be about
preventing species from
reaching perilous situations
( decline or extinction) as well
as rescuing them
– H ba D c : ‘min in retr
aits r v a t o r oe
t t a s ’
– G idne o d pinip bt ht
u ac go in rc l u wa
e
dfe:
e s
in
• Eg o r g
de fa en
• C r p plio
oe o u tn
a
– W e wu ave n h
hr ol dic o t
e d is
cm f m
o er ?
o
• 18 bsleo seie?
91 a in f pc s
e r

C larify role s
S tatu tory Age ncie s & C e ntral G ove rnm e nt
• W hy separate production and conservation?
– N t e osr ny n M isy f g uue
a r C ne ac ad int o A r lr
u v r ic t
– ISol d
n ctn:
a
• Rvnicnin t poet etc:
ae l sgo rt l s k
e c iv o S ahowr
t igt ra
r f d
• Rvnicnin t poetbd:
ae l sgo rt
e c irs H !!
a
• Better linkage
– Seie sr ae bde whad aae et
pc suv lmedd it l mngmn
iv n
– G m cne a n nt e osr tn
a e osr t is a r cne a
v io u v io

U s e lice nce s b old ly
• A void making adaptive management licences
as complex as PhD s :
– H h tu o seie t b mngd
ig s t fpc so e aae +
as
– A ed t eidne fee o mngmn +
ncoa v ec o bnf f aae et
l it
– Lw is t s t b l it mngmn =
o rko tu yime aae et
as d
– L ec, r u tg clo mngmn ad
icne e lin s e f aae etn
ga a
m noin r ue
oitrge ir
q d

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE (1979) on the conservation of wild birds.
Article 2
Member states shall take the requisite measures to maintain the
populations of species referred to in Article 1[all birds] at a level which
corresponds in particular to ecological, scientific and cultural
requirements, while taking account of economic and recreational
requirements, or to adapt the population of these species to that level.