Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow

Wildlife organisations call for three-year ban on mountain hare culls.

14:50 14 April 2015

Ten wildlife and conservation organisations are calling for a three-year ban on the culling of mountain hares on Scotland’s grouse moors that provide an ideal habitat for mountain hares. 

 

Simon Jones of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, one of the groups campaigning for a moratorium, said: "We, along with the other organisations, are calling for a three year ban, to allow time for all those involved to take stock of the longer term impacts of large scale culling.

 

"Once the results of the study have been published we will then be able to identify the best ways to monitor mountain hare populations and measure the impact that management is having on their conservation status.

 

"The unregulated and seemingly unsustainable culling that is endemic on many grouse moors is a threat to these important populations."

 

Duncan Orr-Ewing of RSPB Scotland said: "Very little is known about their current numbers of mountain hares and population trends.

 

"We also don't know what impact these large scale culls are having on mountain hares' wider conservation status, which could mean the Scottish Government may be in breach of its legally binding international EU obligations to this species."