OneKind
#Act4
Wildlife
Scottish Government plans to ban use of snares
24 August 2023
OneKind
News
This week, the Scottish government announced its intention to ban the use of snares in Scotland, following decades of campaigning from Scottish animal welfare charity, OneKind.
Snares are archaic traps used, in Scotland, primarily to protect birds such as grouse and pheasants from foxes, so there is a surplus of these birds for people to shoot for 'leisure’. However, snares often trap, injure and kill a wide range of non-target species including deer, badgers, lambs and even companion animals, such as cats and dogs.
OneKind strongly welcomes the Government’s proposal, which would put an end to the suffering of the wild, companion and farmed animals frequently trapped in cruel snares.
We are delighted that today the Scottish Government has finally announced their intention to consign snares to Scotland’s books. The regulation of snares has failed to protect animals from the extreme physical and mental suffering caused by these archaic devices. Nothing short of a full ban will put an end to the suffering inflicted by snares. We urge the Scottish Government to make this ban watertight and not consider any exceptions to it. By proposing a snaring ban, the Scottish Government is helping send a message that wild animals deserve protection. Of course, a complete shift in mindset in how we view wild animals - as sentient individuals rather than ‘vermin’ - is desperately needed, but today’s announcement shows we’re heading in the right direction.Bob Elliot, Director, OneKind
76% of the Scottish public support a snaring ban on the use and sale of snares.
