EXPERTS have recommended that Scotland’s deer population should be cut to help protect habitats.
The Deer Working Group’s review said the red deer population over large areas of open range in the Highlands should be limited to 10 per square kilometre. There are currently 15-20 or more red deer per square kilometre in large parts of the Cairngorms National Park, which the review said has the “highest densities of open hill red deer in Scotland”.
The deer management review also calls for measures to limit the spread of non-native fallow deer north of the border.
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The Scottish Government asked the working group to carry out the review amid concerns about the population of deer, which is now estimated to be approaching one million. More than 100,000 wild deer are currently shot in Scotland each year.
The review states: “Adult deer have no natural predators in Scotland and their numbers need to be controlled to safeguard the welfare of wild deer populations and limit the physical damage that wild deer can cause to public and private interests.”
The 373-page document makes 100 recommendations, including considering the removal of a ban on the use of night sights to shoot deer and ending the use of lead bullets to kill them. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “It is important we now give careful consideration to what is an extensive report, with a large number of recommendations. We will consider it, alongside other evidence, and respond in due course.
"An important part of this will involve meeting and engaging with key stakeholders to discuss the findings of the review, and also give consideration to further, recently published work on this important and complex issue.”
A spokesman for Scottish Natural Heritage, the public body responsible for implementing Scotland’s deer legislation said it was also considering the report.
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said it will be seeking urgent talks with the Government over the “damaging” recommendations.
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Chairman Alex Hogg said: “If the Scottish Government brings in the changes it signalled with the Werritty report into grouse shooting and some of the frankly damaging recommendations for deer in this report, it may find it begins to lose the delivery support and goodwill of a key rural sector.”
However, Scottish Environment LINK welcomed the findings.
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