"No justification" for mountain hare cull, warns Scottish Labour

Scottish Labour has called for an immediate end to the culling of mountain hares, with South of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth arguing “there can be no justification for the mass slaughter of nearly 40,000 of these iconic Scottish animals in less than one year”.

With new figures, revealed by the Ferret, showing up to 38,000 mountain hares were killed in one year on sporting estates, Scottish Labour has joined environmental groups and opposition parties in calling for an end to the killing.

Scottish Moorland Group – a working group within Scottish Land & Estates – has suggested that after 60 years of culls there are no signs of a decline in hare populations.

But Smyth has now tabled a motion at Holyrood urging ministers to intervene, saying there has been no evidence to support the rationale for a cull and calling for an audit of total hare numbers in Scotland.

His motion says: “Parliament believes that the indiscriminate and ruthless slaughter of Scotland’s mountain hares is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately.”

Facing demands from the Scottish Green party for an end to the cull, Nicola Sturgeon has previously stated she shared concerns, adding that “the Government is exploring all the available options in order to prevent mass culls of mountain hares”.

Speaking in FMQs in March, Sturgeon said: “There is real public concern about this iconic species of the Scottish mountains, and that is a concern that we share. Large-scale culling of mountain hares could put their conservation status at risk: that is clearly unacceptable.”

Introducing his motion, Smyth said: “The public will be shocked to know the sheer scale of death on Scotland’s grouse moors. Large scale culls are now becoming routine and the so-called ‘voluntary solutions’ are clearly not working, particularly in light of evidence that populations in some parts of Scotland are in decline.

“I have raised a motion in parliament and am calling for a member’s debate on the issue to explore the possibility of an end to mountain hare culls in Scotland.

“I have tabled a motion in parliament and will be calling for a member’s debate on the issue to explore the possibility of an end to mountain hare culls in Scotland.”