Fight for wild goat protection continues as campaigners call for closed cull season
Campaigners hope to
Campaigners fighting to protect Scotland’s wild goat population have called for the animals to at least have the same statutory protection as deer when it comes to culls.
The Wild Goat Conservation Trust (TWGCT), a voluntary conservation organisation based in the Borders, is working on introducing a closed season for wild goat shooting. It also hopes to see more controls put on large-scale culls of the free-roaming herbivores.
At the moment, wild goats can be culled year-round by land managers who argue that they cause damage to important habitat.
A controversial cull of a herd in the Borders by rewilding firm Oxygen Conservation last year led to local outcry. A subsequent bid by TWGCT to grant protected status to the historic herd was rejected by MSPs, despite a petition backed by nearly 22,000 people.
Members of Holyrood’s petitions committee said they had “no choice” but to close the appeal for the animals after NatureScot said the goats were ineligible for protection because they are considered a non-native species.
Some conservationists have argued that while the animals can cause land management challenges, particularly for tree planting schemes, they can also contribute to biodiversity by adding to a mosaic of habitats. They are also considered an important part of rural Scotland's natural heritage.
TWGCT launched a consultation this week on plans to petition the Scottish Parliament for greater legal protection of wild goats. The proposals would bring the management of the animals more closely into line with Scotland's deer legislation, which includes restrictions on culling during breeding periods.
David Braithwaite, chairman of TWGCT, said that while Scotland's framework for deer management was "well framed and considered", wild goats remained vulnerable to shooting throughout the year.
"There is little wonder that of the nearly 200 herds that existed in Scotland around 1900, there are only just over 40 left today," he said.
Dr Shirley Goodyer, of the British Primitive Goat Research Group, said the difference in treatment between the two species was difficult to justify.
"It is clearly time for Scotland to align its wildlife management practices," she said.
The consultation is being circulated to a broad range of stakeholders, including animal welfare organisations, conservation groups, forestry interests, community organisations, politicians, landowners and deer stalkers.
It will remain open until June 30, with the petition expected to be lodged in July.
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