“Leading Scottish animal welfare campaigning charity, OneKind, is urging the Scottish Government to introduce legal protection for mountain hares without delay.
The open season for mountain hare shooting begins today (1st August) and ordinarily runs until 28th February, a period during which around 26,000 mountain hares are killed by landowners to manage their land for red grouse shooting, or are shot for “sport”.
In June, the Scottish Government agreed to make mountain hares a protected species under new legislation, the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020. This means mountain hares will only be permitted to be killed under licence, effectively ending the mass scale killing.
However, this new legislation is yet to take effect. As the Scottish Government wish to consult before introducing a licensing scheme, it is possible that the section of the Act that changes the status of mountain hares will not commence until later than the main provisions.
OneKind Director, Bob Elliot, said:
“We very much welcomed that the Scottish Government agreed to include Alison Johnstone MSP’s amendment to the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Bill to make mountain hares a protected species. It was momentous to see a major step forward for one of our most heartfelt campaigns, to end the mass scale mountain hare culls.
So, like many others, we are disappointed and frustrated that the Scottish Government has, so far, not responded to requests for an interim measure, to protect mountain hares until the new legislation comes into effect. This leaves mountain hares vulnerable to being indiscriminately killed for an indefinite period. Indeed, shooting groups have made it clear that they plan to continue to kill hares, against the will of the Scottish Parliament.
We urge the Scottish Government to enshrine mountain hares’ protected species status into law as a matter of urgency.”
Please introduce legal protection for mountain hares without delay. The open season for mountain hare shooting began on 1st August and ordinarily runs until 28th February, a period during which around 26,000 mountain hares are killed by landowners to manage their land for red grouse shooting, or are shot for “sport”.
In June, the Scottish Government agreed to make mountain hares a protected species under new legislation, the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020. This means mountain hares will only be permitted to be killed under licence, effectively ending the mass scale killing.
However, this new legislation is yet to take effect. As the Scottish Government wish to consult before introducing a licensing scheme, it is possible that the section of the Act that changes the status of mountain hares will not commence until later than the main provisions.
The Scottish Government agreed to include Alison Johnstone MSP’s amendment to the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Bill to make mountain hares a protected species. It was momentous to see a major step forward for one of our most heartfelt campaigns, to end the mass scale mountain hare culls.
So, like many others, I am disappointed and frustrated that the Scottish Government has, so far, not responded to requests for an interim measure, to protect mountain hares until the new legislation comes into effect. This leaves mountain hares vulnerable to being indiscriminately killed for an indefinite period. Indeed, shooting groups have made it clear that they plan to continue to kill hares, against the will of the Scottish Parliament.
I therefore urge the Scottish Government to enshrine mountain hares’ protected species status into law as a matter of urgency.
I understand that on 17th June the Scottish Parliament voted to make mountain hares a protected species. Owing to your delay in granting them legal protection, the open season for shooting them, which began on 1st August, means that they are once again being killed. In order to stop this persecution continuing, I urge you to enact this law immediately.
We urge the Scottish Government to enshrine mountain hares’ protected species status into law as a matter of urgency.
Please do it NOW, protect Scotland’s natural heritage. Use emergency legislation. It is Parliament’s will.
We urge the Scottish Government to enshrine mountain hares’ protected species status into law as a matter of urgency.
Please implement protection for mountain hares immediately. This is a rapidly declining species, it needs help now, not at some unclear future point in time. The rampant slaughter by a blood-thirsty minority should not be tolerated ever again.
I agree, please implement protection for mountain hares immediately. Their killing is cruel and barbaric.
If there is anyone in Government who cares about hares more than they do men with guns, please speak up now. Give hares a chance.
Why anyone would want to kill these beautiful animals is beyond me. I’m fed up of hearing about blood-thirsty morons roaming around with guns and killing everything in sight. PLEASE PROTECT THEM WITHOUT DELAY.
If the Scottish Government agreed in June with OneKind’s concerns and said they would put legislation in place to stop the cruel and barbaric slaughtering of Mountain Hares, then action should be taken NOW – not after the next ‘Sporting’ Season. I know the Government is dealing with a dreadful pandemic at the moment but people who kill defenceless animals for the sheer joy of it are worse than a deadly virus because we all have a choice in life and any decent human being would not take the life of another species purely in the name of ‘Sport’!
I would urge the Scottish Government to TAKE ACTION NOW and save the lives of our national wildlife. Animals themselves don’t kill for pleasure, they kill to feed themselves and their young and to survive. Please Scottish Government help we humans to rise above such outdated practices and start embracing our beautiful countryside and wildlife.
Sixty-seven years ago, I dodged school and went to hill walk near a place called Comrie, and there found a large number of Mountain Hares, sitting peacefully and looking so delightful in their white coats. On another occasion, I found a dead Sparrowhawk on Dumgoyn in the Campsie Fells. Not a mark on it, presumably poisoned. Other trips revealed horrid snares. On hunt-sab’ protests, was disgusted with the hunt followers and their violent and bullying behaviour. Those and other experiences relating to animal welfare, introduced me to the power of those who practised blood sports. The damage to the environment, as I found on Schiehallion, where a road had been bulldozed to give access to shooters, made me feel despair over how the natural landscape had become a vandalised killing zone.
With the rise of a more informed public on animal welfare and conservation issues, existing charities gained more support, and new organisations came into existence to defend insects and plants. This has produced an overwhelming concern for all life forms, but our Scottish Government does not seem to realise that just producing laws to protect this and that species is posturing, IF THEY ARE NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH BY STRONG ENFORCEMENT. At present, Australia’s Government has been asked by environmental groups, as to why the raft of laws to protect a much depleted wildlife, are not being enforced against irresponsible developers and farmers. In Scotland, there are shooting estates which disregard the legislation regarding Birds of Prey and other protected species, thus holding the law in contempt, and all those people who wish for a more compassionate management of the landscape, along with how animals (wild and domesticated) are treated. Hunting for sport takes place everywhere trophy animals can be shot, and those doing so are rich and can have political clout. Our Mountain Hares are innocent victims of this medieval tyranny, that has absolute power over what lives and dies in the countryside. Shame on our politicians if they can not face up to these anachronistic dictators. A clean sweep and new management of the natural landscape is required, along with the rejection of the spurious arguments about the rural economy depending on blood sports.
I agree with all of the above, and since I can’t express it with any more clarity or passion, I will simply add my voice in the hope that the SG will listen and act. Enshrine the protection of mountain hares in law, and call for immediate interim measures to safeguard them this year. Please.
I urge the Scottish Government to legalise protection of the mountain hares without delay. Please stop the barbarism of thousands of animals by the few.
The decision the Scottish Government made in June of this year to protect our mountain hares was commendable and welcome. However while time passes due to pondering and “consultation” , many beautiful wild hares will die a barbaric, painful yet avoidable death. are we a civilized society to condemn any animal to a torturous end for our entertainment and sport? Its certainly not for sustenance. Gone are the days when hunters shot wildlife to feed their families as there was no alternative. We all have access to readily available food supplies in local community shops and supermarkets. Morons who hunt to shoot and kill these majestic animals lack any humanity. Come on Scottish Government, show the world how enlightened and compassionate we are as a nation, show them how its done, protect our national wildlife before they are lost to future generations. What an ugly place Scotland would be devoid of our natural wildlife. Pass the legislation NOW. Please.
Please protect the hares NOW !
Many estates will continue to shoot As many Mountain Hares as they can before the regulations kick in, highlighting their contempt of the government’s aims in protecting this endangered species.
Please act NOW and not when thousands more Hares have been cruelly shot as the scapegoat for unnaturally high Red Grouse populations.
Anne-Marie Graham expresses exactly my thoughts. I join everybody asking that the mountain hare slaughter should not be allowed to happen by default this year.
Please implement protection for all mountain hares immediately. The shooting season has now started, we will find many more hares being shot. If it is so difficult to pass a law to protect them, it would make sence to pass a law to stop all shooting.
Humans should have no right to kill defenceless animals in the name of so called ‘Sport’. I would urge the Scottish Government to TAKE ACTION NOW and save our national wildlife, and rid us of the outdated practices of hunting/shooting for sport.
Please save our beautiful countryside and wildlife NOW.
I am extremely disappointed that the Scottish government have not yet enacted the law to prevent the pointless mass killing of one of Scotland’s iconic creatures. All too often, landowners ignore the law as the chances of being caught are rare and the punishment is woefully inadequate. I implore you to help the mountain hares by enabling the new law to be implemented with immediate effect.
I also join everybody asking that the mountain hare slaughter should not be allowed to happen this year or indeed any year moving forward. Please act NOW and not when thousands more beautiful hares have been cruelly killed.
Why does a decision to enact legislation, taken in June 2020, require ‘further consultation’ in August 2020? Of course a decision to protect any animal from the sadistic impulses of the more backward in our society is going to be unpopular with them, but over the past few months Scotland’s government has given ample proof of its courage and determination to face down unpopularity in certain specific sectors in the interests of doing the right thing, and the general public have largely recognised and supported this. Please extend this courage and determination to the urgent protection of mountain hares before the start of the annual slaughter, and bring this whole area under government control.
To the Scottish Government,
Please do not delay in introducing the legal protection for Mountain Hares as the open season for their shooting began 1st August. It’s a matter of real urgency that steps are taken NOW.
This needs to be stopped these are beautiful creatures
Please do not delay the legal protection of these beautiful creatures any longer.
Please make the killing of Scotland’s mountain hares without delay – it is a disgrace that this unreasonable cruelty continues.
Please make the killing of Scotland’s mountain hares illegal without delay – it is a disgrace that this unreasonable cruelty continues.
(missed out a crucial word..!)
So disappointed in our Scottish Government for its procrastination on this vital issue of protecting mountain hares.
Just how serious are they about protecting our wildlife or do their loyalties lie elsewhere.