Chamber and committees

Absolutely. NatureScot undertook a trial of the minimum bullet weights that are being proposed to shoot deer, in order to ensure that animal welfare would not be compromised. I share the member’s concern about that.

We considered the results of the NatureScot report, alongside advice from NatureScot on deer welfare. I read NatureScot’s “Review of the minimum bullet weight for the lawful culling of all deer species in Scotland” report—it is very interesting with regard to the placement of the shot and so on. The review found that the proposed changes would have

“no detrimental effect on deer welfare.”

That is partly because, along with the change to the minimum weight, the requirements for muzzle velocity and bullet energy are unchanged. With regard to the effect that the member mentions, that fits within the grounds for leeway—there is, as he said, some leeway in that regard—because it still requires the minimum energy of the bullet to have that impact on the animal.

When NatureScot investigated the use of night sights and the proposed change to ammunition weights, it did not find any welfare concerns at all, over and above those that apply in relation to lamping, which is a practice for trying to see things in the dark. No additional welfare concerns were found. That has been addressed from the ammunition angle and the night-sight angle.

Of course, as Edward Mountain will know, it is always up to the practitioner not to take the shot unless it is safe to do so—unless they have a correct backstop and the animal has been correctly identified and paired up with any young that it might be responsible for. It is always up to the person who pulls the trigger to decide whether the shot is safe to take.

That is correct.

The SSI is part of the 99 recommendations. On its own, it will not make all the difference that we need to make. It is part of a larger programme of work. It removes the administrative burden, which was one of the recommendations from the deer working group, but I would not expect the SSI to have a measurable impact on its own.

As far as I am aware, no applications have been turned down.

That is, of course, part of the welfare consideration with regard to this issue. As we discussed just a moment ago, the professionals who undertake deer management need to consider the welfare of the animals when they are undertaking stalking. Professionals need to consider whether hinds are present and, if there are welfare considerations, they should stop their activity and do it at a different time.

That lies with the practitioners, who know best and have the expertise to make a decision as to whether to pull the trigger and whether to undertake a stalk on any particular day.

NatureScot authorisations require that the people carrying out the shooting under those conditions are properly qualified and are following the best practice guidance. That is the mechanism. When the new best practice guidance is issued, alongside this legislation, it will be up to NatureScot to ensure, through its authorisation mechanisms, that that guidance is followed.

You said that we are requiring people to buy night sights; we are not requiring them to do that. They will now be allowed to use the new technology—

I do not have that information in front of me, but I am happy to write to you with it.

We have met all the legal requirements to consult on the proposals. I can give you the background. The deer working group report, which contained the proposals, was published in 2020. In response to that, prior to publishing our formal response, the Scottish Government met with and sought written responses from key stakeholders, including the Association of Deer Management Groups and Scottish Environment LINK. Since our response to the report was published, in 2021, we have also met representatives, at ministerial and official level, through individual meetings with land management organisations and through groups such as the deer management round table, with some regularity.

Through those conversations, we developed a sound understanding of the stakeholders’ views on issues such as close seasons, which meant that, when we received the responses to our consultation, the views that we received were largely in line with what we already understood. Those are the steps that we have taken to consult on the matter.