MINISTERS are being urged to back a controversial plan to allow mountain hares to be removed from grouse moors and transported elsewhere. 

The Scottish Gamekeepers Associations say that under the proposals estates would “act as donors of live trapped hares which could be used to rebuild populations where land use change has shrunk their range."

Earlier this year, the Scottish parliament voted to extend legal protection of mountain hares, effectively banning mass killing of the species.

That was bitterly opposed by the Scottish shooting industry in Scotland, who say the hares need to be culled to prevent over population and the spread of diseases.

Scotland has approximately 135,000 mountain hares and up until the law change, 26,000 were killed every year in Scotland, largely on grouse moors and other sporting estates.

They were shot both for land management and for sport. 

Demand for the ban was fueled in part by a study in the Journal of Applied Ecology 2018 by the late Adam Watson, which found that the species had declined catastrophically compared to the 1950s.

However, the SGA says research shows grouse moors can contain populations up to 35 times higher than non-managed moors.

Under the new rules, landowners will be able to apply for a licence to shoot hares, but details of how that will work are still being hammered out. 

The SGA are calling for translocations to be up for discussion, alongside all lethal control options.

“Our opposition to the Parliament’s decision is well known, especially if conservation was the principal purpose. However, politicians decided, so it’s time to move on," said Scottish Gamekeepers Association Chairman, Alex Hogg.

He added: “Obviously, hare management is no longer an option, unless through lethal control under licence.

"Instead of culling as the only option- and the environment NGOs made their views clear on this – why not use a quota of these hares from the remaining core grouse moor areas to expand the hare range in places which used to have them but no longer do because the management, or mismanagement, shrunk their habitat?

"It would also lessen the chance of hares dying off from disease.

“If the point of protection is conservation, this should be roundly supported. It would also avoid a similar scenario to beavers which were protected, then campaigners opposed them being legally killed, in number, under licence.”

Hogg said this was "entirely wrong that gamekeepers should be associated negatively with mountain hares when they have managed populations for centuries and still have more hares than anyone else."

He added: “This is an opportunity for grouse moors to be positively associated with their improved conservation status, something which the Parliament desires.”

Scottish Greens environment spokesperson Mark Ruskell was sceptical: “Mountain hare populations across the Highlands have been in sharp decline. The species will expand its range if it is allowed to flourish, not be trapped, boxed up and exiled elsewhere.

"Instead, gamekeepers should focus on stamping out the criminality around grouse moors which has such a devastating impact on Scotland’s wildlife.”