Shooting body raises ‘significant concerns’ over Natural Environment Bill

Britain’s largest shooting organization, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), has raised serious worries about the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill and its potential effects on how deer are managed in Scotland. The Scottish Government argues that the Bill is essential to halt species decline and to achieve lasting improvements for the country's natural habitats. However, the legislation also calls for changes to deer management practices, including a target to increase the annual deer cull by 50,000, which translates to a 25% rise from current levels. This is part of an effort to reduce Scotland’s estimated deer population of around one million. Peter Clark, Director of BASC Scotland, expressed concerns that the Bill might introduce excessive bureaucracy without offering clear, measurable goals or enough financial motivation for deer managers. He highlighted that members could face growing pressure to carry out larger culls without knowing precisely what outcomes are expected. This uncertainty, he argues, makes the proposed reforms difficult to support, especially since the rationale behind them isn’t sufficiently defined or incentivized. On the other hand, Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin strongly defended the Bill, emphasizing the urgency of protecting Scotland’s natural environment. She pointed out that one in every nine species in Scotland is at risk of extinction, and overall species abundance has dropped by 15% since 1994. Martin warned that without swift and decisive action, further decline is inevitable and some species might be lost forever. She pledged to collaborate with all relevant organizations to ensure the legislation meets its goal of safeguarding and restoring the country’s biodiversity. The Bill also introduces a new legal duty for Scottish ministers to set binding targets for nature restoration, aiming to modernize the powers of authorities managing Scotland’s national parks. Ahead of the first vote at Holyrood, Martin reiterated the Bill’s importance for reversing environmental damage and achieving Scotland’s ambition of biodiversity restoration by 2045. While the government focuses on the long-term benefits for nature conservation, BASC and its members remain wary of the immediate impacts on deer management. The call for a significantly higher cull comes with concerns over how these targets will be enforced, funded, and measured. BASC’s apprehension highlights a tension between conservation goals and practical wildlife management, especially when financial and operational details are unclear. This debate reflects broader challenges in balancing environmental protection with stakeholder interests in land use and wildlife control. Both sides recognize the need for nature conservation but differ on how best to achieve it, particularly regarding the scale and method of deer population control. The outcome of this legislative process will likely influence Scotland’s approach to natural resource management for years to come.