Animal activists accuse ministers of snaring deal
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com
ANIMAL rights campaigners have accused ministers of stitching together
a back-room deal with Scotland's shooting lobby to allow the
controversial practice of snaring to continue.
Environment Minister Mike Russell declared two months ago that snaring
was "still necessary" despite demands for it to be banned.
Farmers and land managers use snares to trap foxes and other pests in
order to protect lambs and game birds across Scotland.
But Advocates for Animals is now claiming shooting estates and farmers
were handed "dispro****tionate influence" by Russell in the run-up to
the decision.
E-mails between the Scottish Government and the shooting and farming
lobby, obtained by the pressure group, show how they were informed two
weeks before Russell's statement that he would reject calls for a ban.
By contrast, when he met Advocates for Animals ahead of the
announcement he said he was "considering all the options".
Advocates for Animals says the e-mails show it was frozen out by the
Government, with a deal already having been agreed. Russell last night
insisted everyone was treated "equally".
Libby Anderson, policy director of Advocates for Animals, said: "The
correspondence between the shooting estates and the officials appears
to show a concerted effort to work together behind the scenes to
devise a system of regulation the industry would accept in order to
retain snaring in the face of overwhelming public opinion.
"We feel that the shooting industry has been allowed to have
dispro****tionate influence."
The group says it has "particular concern" over one e-mail sent by an
official from Russell's department to the National Farmers Union on
February 5, two weeks before the announcement was made public.
In it, the official declares: "I can tell you in confidence that he
(Russell] does not propose to ban snaring outright..."
"It appears that the minister and his department have listened only to
the views of the minority shooting interest," said Anderson.
Russell said his measures would make a "fundamental" change to the
practice of snaring, requiring farmers and land managers to put safety
stops on the snares to prevent the noose from closing too far.
Among those who had lobbied him to resist a ban were the British
Association for Shooting and Conservation (Scotland), NFU Scotland and
the Scottish Countryside Alliance.
Last night, Russell said: "I met Advocates for Animals the Friday
before the statement on snaring and told them that I was still
considering the options, although was finding it difficult to accept a
complete ban.
"I am sorry they don't like the decision that was taken but everyone
was treated equally in the build up to February's policy
announcement."
The row follows revelations in this newspaper last week that a
lobbyist for ScottishPower who used to work for the SNP was allowed
access to First Minister Alex Salmond ahead of a statement he made
opposing the firms' takeover.
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